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SCIENTIFIC 
BASKETBALL 



By NAT HOLMAN 



INSTRUCTOR, COLLEGE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK 
DEPARTMENT OF HYGIENE AND 
PHYSICAL EDUCATION 



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/ 



INCRA PUBLIC 



HING COMPANY 



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DEDICATED TO MY BROTHERS 




CONTENTS 

Introduction 5 

Handling the Ball 11 

Goal Shooting lg 

Playing the Offense 28 

Playing the Defense 40 

Pla ys „ \ mmm 53 

Questionable Tricks of the Game 78 

Signals g5 

Training go, 

Hints to Players 93 

Great Players and Reasons for Their Greatness 100 

Hints to Coaches 113 



Herald Square Press, N. Y. 



INTRODUCTION 



IN RECENT years the game of basketball has made tre- 
mendous strides. From the sport of a mere handful of 
people in the public schools and gymnasiums of the 
Young Men's Christian Association, basketball has progressed 
rapidly both in the nature of the game and in the interest 
which it has provoked among the sport-loving public, until 
today it occupies the position of the most popular indoor game 
on the winter program. Thousands upon thousands of young 
men and women in the schools, colleges, play-grounds, and 
athletic. associations have adopted basketball whole-heartedly 
while innumerable amateur and professional teams are en- 
gaged annually thru the winter months in private and or- 
ganized competition. 

Whether this increased interest in the game has been the 
result of the compulsory athletics prescribed at the army can- 
tonments during the war or the wider activities of the Ama- 
teur Athletic Union and the Western Conferences and Inter- 
collegiate Leagues is difficult to say. Suffice it to say, how- 
ever, that basketball has come to stay. Combining the ag- 
gressiveness and team-play of football, the speed and fascin- 
ation of ice-hockey and the grace and skill of baseball, this 
splendid indoor game has within the short span of a half 
dozen years reached a state of popularity where ten thousand 
people will gather to witness a single contest on the court. 

But so radical a development in the size of its public, 
players and spectators, cannot attend a sport without an 
accompanying change in the nature of the game. Every 
activity in which man engages in sufficient numbers under- 
goes periodic evolutions. Baseball is a vastly different game 
today and is played in a decidedly superior manner than it 
was a generation and a half ago. A spectator of a football 
match a generation ago would hardly recognize in the grid- 
iron game of today the same pastime which he had witnessed 
at the beginning of the twentieth century. So also has bas- 
ketball changed with time though not perhaps in quite as large 
a measure. 

Within recent years the tendency has been to eradicate the 
rougher elements of basketball. As a result, dribbling, which 
not so long ago played a prominent part in a team's offensive 
play when players were permitted to turn, change their direc- 

5 



tion any number of times, and still maintain possession of the 
ball, has diminished considerably in importance to basketball 
players under amateur rules. The limitations placed upon 
dribbling worked not a little change in the entire character 
of the game. It tended to decrease appreciably the amount of 
individualism in players which still pervades the professional 
game of basketball where promiscuous, two-hand dribbling is 
permitted, and to direct the primary elements of the game 
to passing and concentrated team-work. Wherever basket- 
ball is played today, emphasis is laid principally upon co- 
operation and organization of team-play for the better inter- 
ests of the whole. Coaches aim to develop combinations which 
will work as smoothly as well-oiled machines. If a team is so 
fortunate as to possess a sensational shooter, the offensive 
of the machine is planned so as to enable that player to func- 
tion to best advantage. Individual playing, rash, indiscreet 
dribbling, and aimless, indiscriminate shooting have yielded to 
organized, concerted action. 

With the increasing interest in basketball as the game 
advanced in years came a wider experimentation in different 
styles of play. Where leagues and tournaments are formed 
and championship series for cups are played, teams invariably' 
make an annual house cleaning. Reviewing their record and 
making comparisons, they manage to find that in this manner 
their defense was inefficient, that by use of other formations 
their offense might have been strengthened, and generally 
invent new systems or experiment with those essayed by other 
teams. The game has consequently advanced. With every 
season it has grown more scientific, more complex, and more 
difficult to master. On the offensive, teams have attempted 
systems built around dribbling, others around long distance 
shooting and wholesale following up of shots ; some have 
specialized in the long passing game ; others have made use of 
no special system whatever but have relied upon individual 
strength. But in general the tendency of late has been to de- 
velop the short, conservative passing game. 

Concerning styles of defensive play there have been even 
wider differences of opinion and greater experimentation. 
Many have advocated and made use of the "zone" defensive ; 
some the "first man thru" system ; others have believed in 
taking one's nearest unguarded opponent. In recent years, 
the system which has rapidly gained in favor is the five-man 
style of defense in which each player is responsible through- 
out the game, with but few exceptions, for the guarding of 
his opponent. The five-man game has always been in use in 



6 



professional circles and has only recently come over to the 
amateur class where it has met with only mediocre success 
owing to lack of experience and capable teaching. 

It seems inexplicable at first consideration of the subject 
why the amateur basketball player, as represented on the 
college and larger athletic club teams, is so much inferior 
to the man who makes the game of basketball a profession. 
We occasionally witness the graduation of a college baseball 
star right into the ranks of the Big Leagues and also note that 
the majority of the professional football elevens are recruited 
from amongst college stars of the so-called All- American cali- 
bre. This sort of thing does not exist in basketball. I have 
never seen a college player in all my years of association with 
collegiate basketball who has had the ability, the polish, the 
experience required of a successful professional player. A 
great many collegiate court stars have the potential ability 
of great basketball players, but at the very height of their 
amateur game they seem to lack the fundamental groundwork 
which professional men carry on to the court with them. 

I do not mean to stress the professional game because of 
any conception of a superiority of that game over amateur 
basketball, which would not be true if I did think so, but 
merely to point out that the highest possibilities of basket- 
ball have not been exhausted in amateur circles whereas the 
professional player has developed his game to a greater 
degree of perfection. There are several reasons which may 
be advanced to explain this phenomenon. The first, and per- 
haps the most important of these reasons, is founded upon the 
commercial element of the professional game which requires 
that a player be just so much better than the next man, or at 
least his equal, to retain his job. This factor tends to induce 
in each conscientious player a closer analysis of his game. It 
leads him to seek pointers from older and more experienced 
men. He carefully scrutinizes the styles and practices of the 
stars. In his subsequent games he attempts to put those new 
ideas into his own game, to experiment, to improve. The 
professional basketball player is consequently a far better de- 
fensive man than the amateur. He must prevent his oppo- 
nent from outscoring him in order to keep in'the game, and 
therefore seeks every possible pointer which will increase 
his efficiency. It leads him to study his opponent more care- 
fully and in less time than the college player who lacks the 
experience and training. He is quick to take advantages and 
careful not to repeat mistakes. He must do all these things 
because it is his livelihood, his business, his profession. One 



1 



may inquire why a college trained football team is so nearly 
on a par with the professionally-trained eleven while the col- 
lege basketball team lags so far behind the professionals. The 
answer is that basketball is not considered important enough 
to give the time and attention and the study which football 
receives. 

. Another important factor to the advantage of the profes- 
sional player which makes him a so much more capable per- 
former than the college man is the matter of competition and 
experience. In the height of the basketball season, from 
December to March, the average professional player of any 
ability is engaged in about four games each week. Some of 
the better players, the stars, whose services are in demand by 
many teams, often play every night in the week. This constant 
competition against men of one's own calibre or better, this 
almost daily practising' of new tricks and moves and pointers 
in actual competition, has a most advantageous effect upon a 
man's game. The college player goes through his daily routine 
practice against the scrub team which is often composed of 
an inferior group of players who give the varsity little oppo- 
sition of any beneficial nature. As the result of his great 
number of cage battles, the professional gains in both confi- 
dence and experience and consequently improves his game. 
The college player as a rule engages in but one match a week 
or two at # the most, and spends the rest of his days in the sea- 
son practising on his own gymnasium floor. Of course there 
is no way of remedying this situation, nor do I suppose there 
is any desire to do so because it would be impracticable and 
undesirable for college men to be competing so often. I 
merely mention this fact, however, to point out one of the 
reasons for the disparity in ability of the average players of 
these two classes. 

College basketball, it seems to me, has been greatly retarded 
in its development by the general prevalence of incompetent 
coaches. I hesitate to mention this fact because I myself am 
a member of this class of citizens, but the importance and the 
truth of it have been brought home to me so clearly on so 
many occasions that I feel it is deserving of mention. Until 
recent years, the average basketball coach was recruited from 
among former college stars whose records as members of 
undergraduate teams earned for them glowing reputations. 
Without having had any subsequent training or experience 
these men have attempted to instruct players in the fine points 
of the game and develop successful combinations. It stands 
to reason that a coach can impart to his players no more than 



8 



he himself possesses and can give them the advantage of no 
more experience than he has himself gained, and therefore if 
we can accept with any belief as to the accuracy the facts in 
the previous paragraphs concerning the limitations of the 
ability of the college basketball player, the conclusion must be 
that generally the coach whose sole experience lies in his 
knowledge of and acquaintance with college basketball as it 
has until now been played, is not the best prepared man for 
the position. Fortunately the larger institutions have lately 
begun to engage men of wider, superior experience to handle 
the destinies of their basketball teams. If the amateur at- 
mosphere can exclude the commercial elements of the game 
which men of such training are apt to introduce, I believe 
that the science of basketball will be immeasurably benefited 
thereby. 

The foregoing diagnosis of the condition of basketball to- 
day is by way of emphasizing the need of a more thorough 
discussion of the finer points of basketball. A perusal of 
the pages of the following chapters will show that this book 
is intended not so much for the beginner as for the high 
school, college, and professional players who have already 
had some experience at the game. There are any number of 
treatises on basketball which are of a very elementary charac- 
ter. After explaining what the game is all about, how the 
teams line up on the court, how goals are scored, and other 
phases of the game for beginners, they invariably set out to 
instruct the reader "How to play forward," and "How to 
play guard," and "How to play center." The game of basket- 
ball, however, has progressed too far for such elementary 
treatment of the subject. The styles of play have changed 
considerably within recent years so that it is no longer neces- 
sary to write upon the subject of "How to play forward" or 
the other positions. With the present five-man defensive, of 
which I am an advocate, there is very little difference in the 
function of any man on the team after the ball has been tossed 
up at center, so that on the offensive practically all five 
players have an equal share in the attack and on the defense 
all five men are converted into guards. We have also noticed 
a tendency in recent years to pay close ' attention to the 
fine points of the game and at the same time have real- 
ized the general incompetence of the amateur team coaches 
to instruct players in those points. All of these factors, 
which have become more evident to me each year in my asso- 
ciation with college basketball teams^have prompted the writ- 
ing of this volume on "Scientific Basketball." 







I have attempted within these pages to discuss all of the 
important elements of basketball with which I have come in 
contact in my many years of experience as an amateur and 
professional player and as a coach of college teams. There 
may be opinions stated herein with which others may differ 
or take exception. People may have methods of execution 
which in their opinions are superior to the methods which I 
have attempted to describe. I do not expect every point men- 
tioned to meet with the approval of every reader because I 
realize that many of the things stated are merely matters of 
personal opinion. If, however, a few of those who read this 
work are able to extract some stray bits of advice which will 
enable them to better their game, I shall feel that whatever 
time and energy was put into the compiling of this book was 
well worthwhile. 

NAT HOLMAN. 



10 



HANDLING THE BALL 



BASKETBALL is primarily a passing game. It has long 
since ceased to be a game of distance shots and rapid 
following up. Had basketball remained in that state 
where individual accuracy and brilliance at basket shooting 
were its important attraction the game would never have 
reached the popularity which it maintains today in the world 
of sport. It is the fascinating sensation experienced by play- 
ers and spectators as the result of team-play built around 
combinations of fast and accurate passing players which has 
helped basketball to gain and to hold the public so readily. 

The ability of individuals to locate the basket from long 
distances has not been the cause of the growth in popularity 
of the game nor is it the reason, on the whole, for the success 
of basketball teams. A well-organized passing team generally 
appears nearer the head of the league than one composed ot 
players whose superiority lies in their basket shooting. Men 
who are able to pass well, play together consistently, and 
merge their individual abilities in that of the team seldom 
fumble and usually play better ball and achieve better results 
than aggregations of "shooting stars." 

Why then is a fast short-passing team the most dangerous 
of them all? It is simply because these rapid-firing passes 
put every member on the team in motion. No one is at a 
standstill. Players breaking towards the ball naturally lessen 
the distance of the pass, increase the number of passes, and 
necessitate increased speed in handling the ball. This rapid 
change of positions with the proper handling of the ball tends 
to confuse opponents and break up their defense^ In this 
constant shifting, too, often a defensive player is unintention- 
ally blocked out of play, as the result of which a member of 
the offense is given the opportunity to break into an un- 
guarded position with the possibilities of a free attempt at 
goal. Furthermore, the short passing game naturally leads to 
the development of a close formation which may be used 
very successfully in drawing opponents to a certain section of 
the floor and thus free a team-mate for an open pass or 
shot. No type of play is more effective for freeing a man 
under one's own basket than that of quick short passes. Most 
defenses will crack under this type of play. Also short ac- 
curate passing in the middle of the floor tends to draw the 

11 



defense up close and then allow an offensive player to cut 
for the basket. With this style of playing there is also a very 
great tendency on the part of players on the defense to hold, 

to block, and to commit other fouls. 

The _ importance of having a player come toward the ball 
when it is passed to him cannot be overemphasized. Very 
often the ball is intercepted when a pass is made to a man 
who is waiting or is moving in the opposite direction. Of 
course, if a player has broken away from his opponent and 
calls for a pass under his basket it would be absurd to expect 
him to draw out from the basket so as to go forward to meet 
the ball. It is of particular importance that players keep in 
motion and charge in the direction of the pass when a team 
is in the process of "freezing" the ball. This matter will 
be pointed out in the discussion on "Freezing" in later 
chapters. 




READY FOR A SHORT SNAPPY OVERHEAD PASS. 

When a man is in possession of the ball and is manoeu- 
vermg about in close quarters, the speed of his passes should 



12 



be in accordance with the distance which separates him from 
his team-mates. If they are about ten feet away, a short, 
snappy, over-hand pass aimed at the pit of the stomach is 
most accurate and is easiest for his mates to handle. If they 




AN UNDERHAND PASS AT CLOSE QUARTERS. 



are two or three yards away and cutting rapidly towards him, 
let him twist his trunk slightly to the left or right, depending 
upon the direction from which they are approaching and slip 
the ball into the stomach, being on the lookout at the same 
time that an opponent coming toward him does not slap the 
ball out of his hand. Always on passes to a mate a player 
ought to make it his business to cut in between him and 
his opponent because there is a possibility that the passer's 
man will unintentionally block off one of tiis own men. 
Now then, when the ball is evenly passed into the hands 
of a player, he should be ready to swing the ball, from 
either left or right, with agility and speed together with a 
rapid feint (left or right) swinging the ball into palm of left 
hand as he feints left and vice versa if he feints to the right. 



13 



TWISTING OUT OF A CHARGE. 



Another suggestion which is worth taking note of is that 
when a player is expecting to be charged after receiving a 
pass, he ought to twist his trunk in the direction opposite 
to that in which his opponent is charging and draw both arms 
slightly backwards while he is in possession of the ball and 
be ever ready to make a full turn if the opponent should come 
at him. I have seen many instances of alert players, while 
crossing from side to side on the defense, slapping the ball 
from the hands of an opponent who had just received a pass. 

A player should be able to discriminate between a long 
and a short pass. An opportune time for the use of a long 
pass is when a player has an open run to the goal and the 
ball can be passed to a spot ahead of him, or when he is 
cutting in from an open corner uncovered. Furthermore, a 
player should not fail to keep going when he is on the run 
to receive a pass even if he is compelled to go off to a corner 
of the court Some players have the tendency to cut for 
a certain angle figuring that when they receive the pass, 
they will be in an excellent position for a shot. That is 
good figuring, but if the pass is not thrown accurately, he 
should make every effort to catch the ball, instead of per- 
mitting it to roll out of bounds and thereby lose possession 
of it. Also, when the opponents are using 'the five-man de- 
fense with the guards being drawn up, an opportunity is 
offered for a team-mate to slip in behind the defensive guards 
and receive a long pass unmolested. Furthermore, If the 
opponents are slow in changing from offense to defense it is 

14 



quite possible for a team-mate to be uncovered in an open 
section of the floor near the goal. 

In this connection with the subject I am reminded of 
Oscar Grimstead who in 1917 jumped center for the cham- 
pionship Utica team and who also played with Camden 
representatives of the Eastern League in 1921-22. Grimstead 
was a mighty good center but he will always be particularly 
remembered for his ability to intercept passes while on the 
defense. He was a clever rangy type of a fellow who could 
jump into the air and handle difficult passes. He seemed to 
be able, through watching the man who was in possession of 
the ball, to judge in just what direction the pass was going 
to be made. When competing against teams of tall men, one 
must be certain about making accurate passes. 

Another useful pass is a bounce pass, which is very effec- 
tive when teams are working at close quarters. If a player 
is going down the floor toward his own goal at a fairly rapid 
pass with the ball in his possession, a bounce pass to one 
of his mates who is directly opposite him, slightly to the 
right or left, will rarely be intercepted. A bounce pass 
should never be used when opponents are crowding in, be- 
cause of the possibility of their rushing in and meeting the 
bounce. Time and again a player will find an opponent 
standing in front of him when he is about to make a pass. 
A snappy bounce pass to either the right or left side of him 
will prove most effective, provided the mate he is making 
the pass to is moving toward him or away from his opponent. 
The cleverest man I have ever seen at using the bounce pass 
to advantage is the diminutive star of the New York 
State League, Barney Sedran, who is a master at this 
style of game. 

A rather dangerous pass is that which is made to a team- 
mate at the left side of the court when the passer is looking 
partly to the right side, or vice versa. It is a very deceptive 
pass and is seldom intercepted or blocked. Once the men 
on a team know a player's style, they will expect a pass of 
that nature when he is in possession of the ball. Marty 
Friedman, playing with the championship Albany, N. Y. 
State League Team, one of the greatest guards of the 
game, worked his blind-pass with wonderful results. It 
was most interesting to see the easy manner in which 
the pass was made; and yet there was plenty of snap, 
speed, and good direction to all of his passes. The advantage 
of the "blind" pass lies in the fact that the team-mates of one 
who uses that type of throw, expect it of him, are alert to 



15 



receive such passes, and are rarely, if ever, caught flat-footed ; 
whereas opponents are never certain of the direction in 
which his passes are to be made, with the result that their 
chances of intercepting them are considerably limited. 

When a ball is received waist-high, the proper manner in 
which to catch it is to permit the ball to strike the pit of the 
stomach with the body flexed slightly at the waist to prevent 
jarring. A player should not use his fingers if he can 
possibly help it. Most finger sprains are due to faulty han- 
dling of passes. If a pass is made high, the best way to 
receive it is (1) to make every muscle taut in the forearm 
to prevent fumbling, (2) to face the palm of hand in the 
direction of the ball and open fingers wide. One should take 
the pass away from the body and then draw-in just as it is 
received so as to relax the muscles in the arm. 

Finally there is the one-arm catch-pass which many men 
use to good advantage. There are times when both hands 
are not available for receiving the ball and as a last resort, 
with rapid body adjustment, a player will catch a pass with 
one arm while slipping away from his man and click the ball 
to his body with a one hand clasp. These catches are 
spectacular but should not be used except when necessary. 
Many times the ball is lost because fumbling is frequent in 
making such catches. As a last means a player should use 
this one-arm catch-pass if he cannot place both hands on 
the ball. In this respect I recall Gil Schwab of the Wilkes- 
barre Club who was most spectacular in receiving a pass 
with one hand while on a cut for the basket on the left side 
of the court. When he reached the basket he would draw 
over to the right side, slip the ball into the opposite hand 
(left or right) steady it momentarily and shoot. 

It was five years ago that I chanced to see Jack Inglis 
perform a feat that doubtless will never be duplicated in the 
realms of basketball. It was in an exhibition game played 
in Carbondale, Pa., when Inglis went down the floor at a 
terrific pace with me (playing with Bill Manning's All-Stars 
at the time) right at his heels, when Andy Suils made a 
pass to Jack across the floor about seven feet high. Inglis 
leaped into the air about six feet from the ground on the 
left side of the basket, took hold of the net in which we 
played, flexed his left arm, completely raised his entire body 
with the left hand, turned slightly to the right, and with the 
same motion clicked the ball passed to him by Suils with- his 
right hand and shot a clean basket at the same time. There 
was I in the meantime waiting for this marvel to descend. 



16 



The only way I could have prevented him from shooting was 
by grabbing him by the ankles and drawing him down, but I 
never expected him to receive the pass having both feet off 
the ground and one hand in the net. My one wish when I 
left the floor that night was that every man and woman inter- 
ested in basketball could have seen that play. 

Jack Inglis handled a basketball with more grace than any 
man in the game. There were times when he would use a 
complete right hand pass around his back to a mate across 
the floor with great speed and accuracy. That pass was 
used when he was charged and no other pass would do. 
The men in the league who got to know his style used to 
prepare to intercept a pass of that kind. By and by Jack 
participated in a very important match and picked an oppo- 
nent who was rated as an excellent guard. To the amazement 
of the crowd here is what happened. Inglis came down 
the floor on a run and when within three yards of his 
opponent drew the ball around his back with his right hand 
to deceive his opponent, clicked hold of the ball with his left 
hand and feinted left. He then snapped the ball back to his 
right hand and with a rapid feint to the right dribbled up to 
the basket without any opposition. This movement was 
executed within the twinkling of an eye. I have never seen 
such an exhibition of handling the ball as was played that 
evening. 



17 



GOAL SHOOTING 



THE three fundamental shots in basketball are the one- 
hand English shot, the push-shot, and the free throw. 
The one-hand push-shot is not used as much as the other 
two. It is used chiefly when an underhand or push-shot is im- 
practical. This shot is shown in the accompanying illustration. 




V \ 



ONE-HAND ENGLISH SHOT. 

You will note that the player's head is turned so that 
he is looking directly into the palm of his hand. This per- 
mits the proper English to be put on the ball. The fingers 
are spread to balance the ball perfectly and the ball rests flatly 
in the palm of the hand. The eye is focused at the center of 
the rim. Gauge the distance carefully and shoot by throw- 
ing the ball oft gently, giving it the proper height. 

I do not hesitate to declare that Dr. Lou Sugarman, who 
played forward on the Champion Greystock team of the 

18 



Eastern League in 1918 and later coached the Princeton 
University Basketball Team, is the most successful one- 
hand tosser the game has ever produced. Many a game 
has he broken up as the result of his uncanny ability to toss 
the ball in with one hand while in motion. Seldom does he 
use the backward pass, for his system has been adapted to 
clear shooting. I have seen Sugarman play and have played 
with him in many games, and through close observation I 
have noticed that in his cuts for the basket he draws off 
to one side after he receives the pass, twists his trunk a 
full turn left, sets the ball in his right hand with the left, 
and with the use of his fingers, wrist and arm movement, 
drops the ball into the basket. 

The trouble with the average player is that when he is 
coming down the floor with great speed he cannot control 
the shot with accuracy. His shot generally lacks direction. 
It is thrown either too far or too short. Or it may be given 
too much or too little height. It may also lack the loop 
which is of great importance. The point which should be 
remembered most in connection with the one-hand shot is 
that the shooter should set the ball properly into the palm 
of the right hand with the left, glance quickly at the basket, 
measure the distance, note the center of the rim at the same 
time, and then lay it up with as little force as possible. No 
twist of "English" is necessary. Let him arch the ball with 
even height. The player should not fail to turn with the 
shot, facing the basket as the ball leaves his hand. 

The only objection that I find to the one-hand shot is 
that it is a most difficult one to control and one runs the 
risk of losing possession of the ball in attempting it. I know 
of many players who are rated as wonderful shooters, but 
their shooting ability is out of proportion to their value to 
the teams on which they play. They are poor team men 
because they come down the court repeatedly, shoot at the 
basket from almost impossible angles, lose possession of the 
ball, and bring their entire team back on the defense again. 

We often see amateur and professional basketball players 
who run at a fast pace and drop in a beautiful one-hand shot. 
It is a pretty shot and the maker of it deserves due credit for 
his performance. But these very men try the same shot four 
or five times, and sometimes more often, during the course 
of the game, perhaps carried off by the pleasurable sensation 
of having made such a shot and the hope of repeating it, 
with the result that possession of the ball is lost each time 
and their team suffers. 



19 



Dr. Al Sharpe, who coached the basketball team at Yale 
for several years, used a chart system with his men to correct 
their shooting faults. He used to sit up on the running track 
overlooking the court during the team's practice or league 
games and make note on a chart of the various shots taken 
by each player by checking their number in the zone from 
which their shots were taken. In this manner he was able 
to tell just who were trying the shots, how many they were 
taking, the angles and distances at which they were taken, 
and the percentage made and wasted. Soon each man took 
stock and tried to regulate his shooting by not making ridicu- 
lous attempts, with a subsequent improvement in his playing. 

Another remarkable shooter was tall George Smith, who 
jumped Center for the Stamford Team of the Connecticut 
State League in 1917. Smith had the most unusual knack 
of shooting for the basket with either hand. He would choose 
between a left or right hand shot in accordance with the 
angle in almost any situation. If he was cutting in fast for 
the basket on the left hand side of the court with an opponent- 
right up with him, even though the possibilities were present 
for a shot on the left side, he would swing around completely, 
shifting the ball at the same time from his left to his right 
hand and shoot at the basket from the right side. It was 
most interesting to see a man hanging on to George as he 
came down to the left side of the basket and suddenly watch 
him swerve to the right side with a flashing twist so as to 
deprive the opposing player even of the alternative of foul- 
ing him to prevent him from scoring a basket. 

It is my opinion that the most successful way of shooting 
at a basket is to shoot clear and disregard the backboard 
entirely. Once a man can train his eye to see nothing but 
the ring as he looks at the backboard he is making rapid 
strides towards improving his shot. The game of basketball 
has been likened to the game of billiards, with the back- 
boards as cushions and the fingers of the player the cue. 
The same skill employed in using the cue successfully is 
employed in handling a basketball. I feel that a great many 
shots are made off the backboard mainly through assistance 
of the backboard and with very little aim or concentration 
on the part of the shooter. 

As a man travels about with his team to play on various 
courts he is apt to meet with backboards of different resili- 
ency. Some are fast, others are dead. Then again there 
are baskets which have the iron rod extending out from 
the backboard from twelve to fourteen inches, making a 



backboard shot quite difficult. As long as a player has to 
put up with such conditions he will never be at a disadvantage 
if he is able to shoot clear baskets. By all means I advise 
the use of the backboard when one is going under the basket 
for a shot but it is in shooting outside of the foul line that 
I urge the development of clear shooting. 

The question the average basketball player should ask 
himself is "What if the Rules Committee change the rules 
of the game and abolish the use of backboards entirely?" 
This change actually occurred fifteen .years ago, when the 
professional teams announced their plans to the public. To- 
day the "pro" game is played in a taut net with no outside 
balls called, and with a basket consisting of a strong base 
iron upright and a twelve to fifteen inch rod projecting out 
from this upright with a basket attached at the end. There 
is often no backboard. The ball is kept in play for twenty 
minutes within the net and only during a "time-out" are the 
players at rest. 

Now then, what is the most effective method of shooting 
clear baskets ? On page 22 is a diagram which I have used in 
discussing this subject with college men. I have emphasized 
the method of dissecting the rim and getting the center, 
regardless of what one's angle may be. If a player is certain 
of that, his direction of shooting will always be good. He 
will soon find, as I have experienced through close observa- 
tion in my own shooting, and also in the results shown 
through practice by the various men under my tutelage at 
college, that a greater percentage of shots will find their 
mark than heretofore. 

Whenever a player receives a pass near his basket in the 
cprners of the court, to enable him to gauge the center of the 
rim I suggest that he glance immediately at the supporting 
rods which terminate in the center of the ring. The same 
should be done from the center of the court, although from 
that position there are no projecting rods to assist the eye. 
However, through practice and intense concentration it is 
possible to train the eye so that at first glance a man can 
with reasonable accuracy strike his objective. The real 
difficulty lies in being able to set one's self aa fast as the 
situation permits when one comes to a sudden halt so as to 
gauge accurately. Within a fraction of a second a player must 
measure his distance, set the ball properly, and study the 
height of the curve. Of course when he is shooting a foul, 
he is at ease; and glancing at the rim, he ought to have no 
trouble in locating the center of the rim. 



21 




THE EYE DISSECTS THE RIM. 



In the use of the ordinary push-shot, the ball should never 
be allowed to rest against the palms. In throwing a stone or 
baseball, the object is held in the finger tips. This gives the 
"zip" to the baseball or the "snap" to the push-shot in basket- 
ball. By using the finer accessory group of muscles instead 
of the heavier or fundamental groups, the player gets a 
much better coordination. A push-shot should be directed 
on a high curve and not on a line or with a low arch. For 
the underhand or free throw shot, the ball is held in identi- 
cally the same position, as it is when a free throw shot is 
attempted. 

There are two ways of making the push-shot and these 
are illustrated on pages 24 and 105. The former is the 
method which I advocate and have myself adopted for my 
own style of shooting. On page 105 one will notice that the 
body of the shooter is almost erect and the ball is raised 
slightly above the level of his eye so that it is almost on a 
direct line from his eye to the basket. Players employing 
this style of shot usually raise the ball with or without a 
twist and give it a high arch. 



22 



I would, suggest the following preparatory move for a 
push-shot. Just as soon as the player receives the ball, let 
him advance one full step forward with the right foot, bring 
the left up close to the right, actually clicking the heels, and 
extend both arms outward about waist high and parallel with 
the ground. Place all the weight on the toes, and bend the 
trunk slightly forward. The ball is adjusted properly, through 
the sense of touch, and it is revolved quickly so that when 
it leaves the hand it will rotate with the stitches facing up- 
ward. Practice will give a man that sense of touch so that 
in a very short time he can snap the ball into the proper 
position rapidly. With eye on the basket during this act, 
the player should locate the center, measure his distance from 
the basket, and give the ball the proper elliptical arch. 




SET FOR A PUSH SHOT. 



Good "foul" shooting depends entirely upon muscular 
relaxation and intense concentration. After working about 
the floor when my team has possession of the ball, , cutting 
in for the basket, dodging, feinting, etc., I have found it 
extremely advantageous, to walk up to the foul line, when 
a foul is called, relax physically, and concentrate on the center 
of the rim until the ball leaves my hands. If a foul shooter 
rivets his eyes on the center of the rim, disregards com- 



23 



ments made by players and spectators from the side lines, 
and maintains a feeling of confidence (inwardly saying to 
himself, "Oh, this one is a sure point. Chalk it up, Mr. 
Scorer!") before long he will find himself shooting fouls 
with a degree of accuracy. 

Good foul shooting requires endless practice. That holds 
good for any athletic or mental activity. I have taken hold 
of men on the Varsity basketball team at the College of the 
City of New York, where I am at present coaching the teams, 
and have made good foul shooters of them because of their 
willingness to learn and to spend the time in daily practice. 




OVERHAND FREE THROW. 



There are a number of ways of taking a position at the 
foul line. Whatever style a man adopts, let him be con- 
sistent, practice that one method alone, and bear in mind the 
matter of muscular relaxation and concentration. For many 
years T have been shooting fouls with my right foot forward 
and my left about one-half step behind it. All of my weight 
is carried on my right foot, while the large toe of my left 
foot touches the floor slightly so as to give my body the 



24 



necessary equilibrium since my trunk is bent considerably 
forward. Both arms are extended forward, giving me the 
proper balance. Equilibrium of the body will unconsciously 
give one steadiness, which is a vital factor m shooting. 1 
have been extremely reluctant to change my style, the over- 
hand free throw, to an under-hand free throw ; but I do not 
hesitate to say that the latter is the better of the two because 
it lacks the tension which characterizes the over-hand throw. 
The under-hand shot is preferred to the push-shot as a more 
natural one for the reason that the shooter uses his flexors 
many more times than his extensors and he is surer of them. 
The arms naturally give at the sides and do not upset the 
balance or equilibrium, as raising the arms up to the shoulders 
does in shooting. l. - 





SET FOR UNDERHAND 
FREE THROW. 



POSITION OF HANDS IN UN- 
DERHAND FREE THROW. 



The player should approach the mark, take his position 
at the free throw line, keep looking at the basket, and stand 
with feet evenly apart. The shot itself is made, by dropping 
the ball down from the waist line, using a quick quarter 
squat, and then bringing it directly upright. Just how much 
twist the player desires to put on the ball is determined by 
the amount of lift he gives it and the pressure he exerts 
in the release of it. The thumbs here play an important 
part in aiding the flexors toward the proper arch. 



25 



The elbows are kept fairly close to the side, and as the 
shooter squats, he drops his hands slightly downward with 
the thumbs out, and as he rises, reverses the movement with 
an upward twist, rising on the toes as he throws the ball 
off. 

I do not advise the use of the under-hand shot in prefer- 
ence to the push-shot in the field of play because it is so 
much more easily blocked. The underhand throw is unsafe 
to use when an opponent is within ten feet and between the 
shooter and the basket. 

Playing with Jim Furey's Original Celtics last winter 
against the Knights of Columbus Team of Fort Wayne, 




the; overhead shot. 



Indiana, I met a lad by the name of Stonebraker. "Stony" 
played forward and also shot fouls for the Knights of Colum- 
bus Team. He did his shooting with an under-hand shot. It 
was in the first game of this series that I, for the first time in 
my career, saw a player use the undershot as effectively 
as did Stonebraker. He shot five baskets that night from way 
past the mid-floor, in the most remarkable exhibition of under- 



26 



hand shooting that I have ever seen. Chris Leonard, who 
played opposite ''Stony/''' being unaware of the latter 's ability 
to 'shoot so accurately from so great a distance., let him 
shoot believing that he would miss his tries and lose pos- 
session of the ball. Chris missed his guess. The Celtics 
were beaten 24 to 17. The following night Leonard plaved 
Stonebraker again and actually prevented him from scoring 
a single basket. Leonard stood close to "Stony" whenever 
his side got possession of the ball regardless how far back 
the Fort AYayne Star went. The latter made many attempts 
at the basket but they were almost all blocked by Leonard, 
which proved conclusively to me that the underhand shot 
is not very effective when one is being played closely by one's 
opponents'. The Celtics toyed with the Knights in this second 
game and defeated them by the score of 48-19. 

Another most unusual shooter is Eddie Dolan. who jumped 
Center for the Camden Team, winners of the Eastern League 
1920-1921. Eddie passed and shot his ball with both arms 
over his head. He would receive a pass from one of his men, 
somewhere near the foul line, and if the man playing him 
charged in. he would pass ; but if his opponent waited for 
him to dribble through, he would shoot in this most deceptive 
manner. Dolan has. a most uncanny ability for making bas- 
kets with this unusual style. 

Finally, a player should remember that shots that are 
taken for the basket in a hurry lack direction and accuracy. 
Unless a man has sufficient time to get the ball away for a 
shot, he should refrain from shooting and wait for another 
opportunity. 

The player should use his wrists in shooting by turning 
them upward with a sudden twist and arching the ball prop- 
erlv. Let him lean slisrhtlv forward arid measure his distance. 



PLAYING THE OFFENSE 

A BASKETBALL team's success depends almost entirely 
upon the strength of its offense. Regardless how good 
a defense it may have, if a team hasn't the ability to 
score baskets, it cannot win games. Likewise in baseball a 
team may have a wonderful battery and an excellent defense, 
but if it cannot score runs, before long it will be a tail ender 
in the race. True there are basketball games that are fre- 
quently won when players have exceptional luck at shooting 
baskets from all parts of the floor, but those occasions 
are rare. 

The team that can by its team work get the ball down the 
floor to within good shooting distance is one that will head the 
percentage column. There are many different styles of offense 
in basketball, yet if a close analysis of all these were made, 
the same fundamental underlying principles would be found. 

Possession of the ball is almost nine tenths of a basketball 
game, and the sooner the ball is obtained the better. Much 
naturally depends upon the center's ability to out-tap his 
opponent and a good deal also on the ability of the forwards 
to come in and take possession of the ball. 

The second big factor is the speed with which the offense 
is started. It must be fast and under way before the oppos- 
ing team has a chance to get set and to size up the situation. 
No matter whether the ball is started on an out-of -bound 
play from the opponents' backboard or from the center, the 
play should be fast. Great basketball teams fairly sweep 
their opponents from the floor with the speed which they 
carry into their play. There is no excuse for a team's wasting 
time after it secures possession of the ball. To get it down 
the floor to within shooting distance is their object and 
there should be no time wasted. 

By getting the ball down the court quickly, I do not mean 
that the men should go down the floor on a wild dash. When 
players work that way, it is not long before they lose poses- 
sion of the ball. They are likely to be caught with no one 
in the backcourt and be scored on. When a team takes 
possession of the ball, let it get moving, passing the ball to 
one another speedily and accurately, criss-crossing in order 
to make openings. Should any man cut loose and make a 
dash for the basket, his team-mates should be ready, if they 
have the ball, to feed him with an accurate pass. 



28 



It is a common thing to see a man cut for the basket with a 
three yard lead on his man while the men on his team fail 
to feed him. Nothing is more discouraging to a player than 
to draw away from his man, and, to his chagrin, find one 
of his own mates holding on to the ball in the backfield. It 
is not always the fault, however, of the man with the ball 
for not feeding him. When a player does break away, it is 
his business to yell as loud as he can. I can picture Johnny 
Beckman, who, as a member of the Original Celtics, is rated 
as one of the greatest forwards in the game, cutting away 
from his man and yelling at the top of his voice, while his 
right hand is raised to attract attention. No man on the 
Celtic Team or any other team that Johnny has played with 
would, overlook him when he cuts for the basket. The fans 
used to mimic his cry, but the comments of the spectators 
never bothered Beckman. It is the business of the man 
with the ball to be ever on the alert to feed a man cutting-in. 
But a sudden cry will help him to determine immediately 
just what he should do with the ball. 

One of the most important things in basketball offense is 
for players to break and run at the proper time. When the 
ball is moving about they ought to glance through the cor- 
ners of their eyes to see whether the opportunity presents 
itself for them to cut for the basket. The trouble with too 
many men is that they have their eyes glued on the ball all 
the time. That may be a good thing, but men will never get 
away if they haven't the thought in their minds of cutting-in. 

If a player finds that his opponent is playing him closely, 
let him back up about two to three yards. If he manoeuvers 
about with his opponent sticking closely to him, he may not 




DISTANCE OF THREE YARDS NECESSARY FOR A GET-AWAY. 



29 



be able to outsprint him when he makes a dash for the ha,lr P t 

S^aSftiK' ? " ^ UP ab0Ut tl-eeSastug: 
gested and then starts on a run, with a rapid feint to thr 
right or left his opponent will have to be I very fas „- n 
to intercept the play. The theory is this: When a man i 
started on a run, the man playing him is standing still The 

them Thf t W ° PP ° nentS fleet "f°oted enoughto cover 
of ThV Y r° Ul , d COme t0 a sudden haI t. shoot to the s de 
of the court and go to meet the ball to be ready for am 
other situation that presented itself 7 y 

offSse tin A^ d fein ii ng Pky a VCly ™POrtant part on the 
opponent fs fen! Y'" ° r shift awa ? fr ° m 

I refer again to Dr T that mUSt be watched cI ° s ^- 

i reier again to Dr. Lou Sugarman who was one nf th* 

hardest men to contend with In this respecT He h a H It 

most unusual way of weaving his way mrough Se defend 

From the way he carried himself, one might have thonX 

liic ground watching his opponent's feet "He rertsmK- 

^Z^&^n'" ^ a — " exp^ionS 
me entnusiastic fans. One never knew how to figure Lou 

hT "the batr/ WS ffla " and -ddenlf make a 

feint H« f basket with a rapid left-right or right-left 

a triple feint PT„ ™\Tiu • , . saw Dn Su £arman use 



of scores at the finish of a game Dr. Lou Sugarman, Johnny 
Beckman, and Barney Sedran are regarded great offensive 
players. They are wonderful and exceptionally fast men. 
They^ have physical power, stamina, good judgment, and 
foresight— characteristics which make good forwards. 
Brains, not brawn, make them superior to other offensive 
players. 

On the offensive, a good player will not lose possession of 
the ball by taking long shots. If his team is behind bv five 
to seven points and there is but a short time to play, then a 
long try is permissible. If the player with the ball is set and 
not too far back, let him shoot and follow the ball up after 
the shot. A drawback with many teams on the offense 
is that they have one or two good point scorers on the team 
and they expect them to do all the scoring. These men 
naturally will shoot every opportunity they have irre- 
spective of what their angle is or the distance they are away 
from the basket. If a man cannot get his shots directly under 
the basket, let him throw from the territory around the 
foul line. A long shot is hard to follow up, although it is 
the duty of the men nearest to the basket to follow the shot 
On the other hand, shots taken around the foul line can 
be followed up with better results. If a man has the ball 
on the offensive and his opponent charges him, he ought not 
be satisfied with having a "held" ball called. Let him swing 
his body around, clinging to the ball in the meantime. If 
he can manage temporarily to retain possession of the ball 
by turning his body away from his opponent, he should then 
pass it back to one of his mates and start the play over again. 
Francis P. Meehan, who jumped center for the German- 




TURN AND PASS. 
31 



town Team of the Eastern League, used to work this play 
to perfection. Meehan was six feet four inches tall and 
was a wonderful help to a team, not only in giving them 
possession of the ball at the center play, but in assisting 
them on the offense under the basket with this play. Meehan 
would hurry down to his foul line, and turn with his back 
to his own basket. When he was in this position, his mates 
would make a high loop pass to him. He would then stoop 
forward, both arms stretched forward and outward and pass 
to his mates as they would cut in to the basket. If a team 
has a tall man jumping center for them, let them try this 
play on the offense. 

Another added feature about the play was that if Meehan 
wasn't able to "feed" any of his men cutting-in for the 
basket, as would be ^he case when his mates were covered, 
he would swing around for the basket take one dribble and 
shoot. 

Dribbling is often overdone. Just as soon as some players 
get hold of the ball they start down the floor with a dribble. 
Dribbling should be used as a means of advancing the ball 
down the field as a substitute for passing. The first and 
best means of advancing the ball down the floor is by SHORT 
PASSING. 

If a man with the ball finds that his opposing guard is 
waiting for him under his basket and he is somewhere in 
and around the center of the court, let him start, off on a 
dribble if none of his mates are in front of him. During 
the course of this dribble he should be ever ready to come 
to a halt and feed one of his mates who may be coming 
down the floor at a fast pace. If he should overlook his 
mate by continuing the dribble, the chances are that he will 
lose an opportunity to score a basket, and secondly, he is apt 
to cause ill-feeling amongst his mates, because he is stressing 
individual playing instead of teamwork. 

Whenever a team is playing on a long court, it is advisable 
to bring the ball up the field on a dribble instead of by pass- 
ing. A good deal of strength will be used up by working the 
ball up the field, by passing and shifting from one side of the 
court to another. On the other hand, if one of the men 
has possession of the ball under his opponent's basket, one 
man should stay back to throw the ball in from the outside, 
and another to take the throw.' In the meantime, the other 
three should hurry up the field, so that they can get in and 
around the foul line and cross from side to side. 



32 



The man that receives the pass from the outside, should 
start down the floor on a dribble at once, provided he is not 
covered. Very seldom will he be covered because his man 
will be waiting for him to come down the floor somewhere 
in the back-field. Then when he gets within reasonable 
distance, he should make a pass to one of his men and cut 
in at the same time. If he is going fast and the men on 
the team return the pass to him, nine times out of ten he 
will either make the basket or he will be fouled by one of the 
opposing guards. 

The best time for dribbling is when a player receives a 
pass from one of his mates while going under the basket, 
assuming that he is ahead of his guard when he is cutting-in! 
He should not try to dribble by a man who is standing right 
m front of him. If the guard knows his business, he can 
slap the ball away without any trouble, and if he does not 
succeed on the first attempt he ought surely to be able to 
break up the dribble on the second attempt. 

When one is dribbling one should NOT LOOK SOLELY 
AT THE BALL. If a player looks ahead instead of con- 
centrating his attention on the ball he will be able to evade 
his opponents ; he will not lose any time and will avoid over- 





the; dribble. 

looking some of his men cutting-in for the basket. A player 
should avoid dribbling high. If the dribbler keeps the ball 
about knee-high with his palm fairly well over the ball as 
he advances, he is then controlling the ball at the proper 



D3 



height. A player must pay special attention to catching the 
ball first when it is passed to him rather than to stretching 
his hand forward to meet the pass and start the dribble 
immediately. Let him catch the ball first by tightening up 

every muscle in the forearm to expect a snappy pass, though 
the ball may appear to be traveling slowly toward him. He 
should not start the dribble before he catches the ball. 

If when coming down the field on the offense the ball 
is passed to a man and his opponent is about to charge him, 
what is the best way to evade him? By shifting immediately 
to the right of his opponent, extending his right hand way 
to the side and taking a dribble at the same time. The 




IS 



SHIFTING AWAY FROM AN OPPONENT WITHOUT ADVANCING. 

player DOES NOT ADVANCE WITH THE BALE. He 
simply draws away to the side of his man. He can help mat- 
ters by using a rapid left-right feint to make sure of the 
play. If a man can get this play down to a fair degree of 
perfection, he will seldom be bothered by charging or be 
drawn into unnecessary held-balls. 

There are times on the offense when a man is so closely 
guarded that he is at a loss to know how to elude his 
opponent. Under such circumstances the following play 
should be tried. Let the player run directly in back of one 
of his team-mates who stands still to enable the former to 
get himself in line for a shot in the event the ball is passed 
to him. A brainy team can always bring such moves into 
play when up against strong opposition. If a team perfects 
this play, it will feed a player without loss of time, whenever 
he gets into this position and manoeuvers in back of a team- 



34 



PLAYER RUNS BEHIND TEAM-MATE FOR A SET SHOT. 

mate for a shot. While standing in back there, if his oppo- 
nent should run around to catch him, he can continue the 
circle and make a sudden cut for the basket when the oppor- 
tunity presents itself. For this play some college teams are 
coached to have one tall man run down the floor and station 
himself near the foul line facing his basket while the rest 
of his team-mates hurry down the court passing the ball 
until one of the men can run up directly in back of him for 
a set shot. 

This same idea of running around in back of your mates 
should be used also whenever a held-ball is called Fre- 
quently players will stand by and just as the ball is thrown 
up by the official will run in to meet the ball as a forward 
does at the center play. Players should remember that when 
they are standing still and waiting for the ball to be tapped to 
them they are being covered by their opponents. It is then 
suggested that one man on the team run directly in back of 




POSITION BEHIND TEAM-MATE AT HEED BAEE. 
35 



his mate who_is jumping at the held-ball, in an effort to get 
away from his opponent. If an opponent continues after 
his man, let the latter just keep going around in a circle about 
the two men who are jumping at held-ball. Before long the 
man playing against him will get tired of pursuing him and 
will stop at the point of vantage and wait for him to come 
down the field. It is at this point that the plaver should call 
for a back tap from the man who is jumping. ' 

When a team has possession of the ball, its men should be 
on the move_ continuously. Players in motion are uncon- 
sciously making openings for their team-mates. 

On outside balls, men ought to hurry the ball into the 
court. It is not a rest period. Most teams will be swept off 
their feet by a combination trained to snap the ball into play 
quickly from outside < territory. 

^When a man wishes to make a pass from scrimmage to 
his mates going down the floor, it is suggested that he waste 
no time in looking for faces but throw for a man wearing 
the color of shirt that all of his mates wear. 

If one member of a team has the ball on the right side of 
the court, the others ought to shift over to the left side. 
The reason for this is that one guard can cover two players 
in the same zone, which is impossible if they draw away to 
opposite sides. 

Each player ought to do his individual thinking. He 
ought not to depend on others to lead the attack. If there 
is a chance at any time of his receiving a pass, he ought to 
ask himself such questions as "What am I going to do with 
it when I get it?" If he does so he will find himself one 
jump ahead of his opponents. Men should concentrate on 
their game just as checker players plan and figure their 
moves. Hence, after a pass they should ask themselves, 
"What next?" 

_ After making a pass to a team-mate, one should imme- 
diately glance to the sides of the court to find an opening 
into which to rush. 

A man dribbling down the floor should not overlook an- 
other man who may be in front cutting in from the side. 
It is every man's business to look for such opportunities to 
feed a team-mate. 

A good offensive man will always follow up a shot 
whether it is taken by himself or any other member of 
the team. There are any number of guards who wait for 
the ball to come to them after it strikes the basket, while the 



3* 



man following the ball will come in on a run, leap in the 
air, meet the ball, and shoot it into the basket. In the 
meantime, the guard stands there in amazement, realizing 
his mistake in not leaping for the ball. The most dangerous 
man under the basket that I know of is "Dutch" Denhert, 
who played with the Scranton Basketball Team, Champions 
of the Penn State League, now playing guard with the 
Original Celtics. "Dutch" is tall and rangy and has a won- 
derful physique. Although his position is that of guard, he 
always follows a shot taken by one of his mates. He comes 
in on a run, leaps high, and if he is in a position to shoot, 
does so; if not, he throws the ball back to one of his mates 
and starts the play over again. He realizes the value of hav- 
ing possession of the ball. Another outstanding feature 
about this player is that he knows just when to follow-up 
the ball. He uses strategy. For instance, if one of his 
mates takes a shot somewhere in and around the foul line, 
he follows-up by going around his opponent to the side,' 
instead of charging into him and taking chances of getting 
bruised. He does this in such a manner that his opponent 
does not know whether he is drawing off to the side or just 
manoeuvering about for an opening to cut for the basket. 

If a shot is taken on the right side of the court and a player 
is over on the left side, that is the time for him to go in and 
follow. It is better then for a man to go in from the same 
side as the one from which the shot is taken. 

The final thought on playing the offense is freezing the 
ball to keep the ball from your opponents by passing it 
about you with the intention of "killing-time." This past 
season when City College played Princeton University, the 
home team was leading by three points, with but two minutes 
to go. There was a time-out ! The boys decided to freeze 
the ball. When they resumed play, thev" passed the ball very 
carefully amongst themselves, every man on the team mov- 
ing and cutting from side to side, and before they knew 
it, the whistle blew and the game was over with the ball in 
City College's possession. 

The only possible way to freeze the ball is as follows : 
Just as soon as one of the men gets possession of the ball, 
let him throw it back to one of the guards. Then have every 
man on the team move from side to side. It should be re- 
membered that when a pass is made, the player receiving it 
must not fail to run towards the ball, for the pass may 5 be 
intercepted. Long passes must not be used. If a plaver calls 
for a long pass, his mates should ignore him until he comes 



37 



forward to receive it. If his man is playing him closely, the 
ball ought not to be passed to him. A player should use his 

discretion because a single slip, a fumble, or a poor pass may 
cost his men the game. There are defensive teams that will 
not "close-in" when their opponents commence to freeze the 
ball, but will wait for them to advance down the floor. On 
the other hand, a team which knows its business will close-in 
immediately because there is so short a time to play. When 
a player's opponent begins to close-in on him, let him make 
a sudden sprint in the direction of the basket to lead his 
man to believe he is going in for a shot, then stop suddenly, 
turn, and go back to meet the ball. He will find that his man 
will not always follow him back as quickly as he pursued him 
in the sprint toward the basket. As soon as he receives the 
ball, let some other njember of his team follow this opera- 
tion. If at any time a man cuts for the basket and eludes 
his opponent so completely that a chance can be taken on 
feeding him with a high loop pass, that opportunity to in- 
crease the score may be taken. In "freezing" the ball, some 
men like to hold the ball because their opponents do not 
close-in on the play. I am not in favor of this because the 
player's mates are being covered all the time and some oppo- 
nents, passing by, may slap the ball from his hands or rush 
him for a held-ball. 

I recollect playing in an important match several years 
ago between Bridgeport and Danbury. "Chief" Muller, 
playing guard with the Danbury team, opposed Sedran 
of the Bridgeport team. Muller was much taller than 




SMALL MAX BACKS UP WHILE BIG MAX COMES IN. 
38 



Sedran and it so happened that the Danbury team was 
leading by one point but with two minutes to go. 
Muller got possession of the ball and held it at arms- 
length, with his trunk stooped forward. Sedran could 
not do a thing with Muller on account of the latter's 
height, and the game ended with Danbury leading. 

The only way to break up a play of that kind is to have 
another mate rush in from the front and try to take pos- 
session of the ball while the short man in the rear backs 
up just as soon as his mate comes in on the play. If the 
man in the rear does not back-up, a foul may be called on 
account of two men being on the ball at the same time. 

The chapter on Playing the Defense will enlighten you on 
how to break-up "freezing" the ball. 




FIVE-MAN DEFENSE. 



PLAYING THE DEFENSE 

DURING the fifteen years in which I have been engaged 
in the game of basketball, I have managed to come in 
contact with any number of styles of defense. I 
realized quite early in my career that a strong defense was a 
most important factor for the success of a team and I 
therefore spent a great deal of time and thought in the 
study of this subject. Many teams with excellent mate- 
rial and brilliant prospects for successful seasons fail to 
live up to the standard expected of them because of their 
inability to function ^properly as a unit on the defense. 
The subject cannot be dealt with at too great a length. 

As the result of my experience as a player on various 
professional teams of rank and as a coach of college 
teams, I am fully convinced that the five-man style of 
defense offers more advantages than any other. In the 
course of this chapter I shall present the best means of 
utilizing the five-man game and the methods which in- 
dividuals should adopt. 

Fundamentally, it appears to me, the system is sound 
because five men, forming a solid or united barrier in 
front of their goal, can accomplish more than five men 
scattered over the floor. The diagram on the preceding page 
illustrates the position which team X takes when on the 
defense. Each member of the team is numbered to cor- 
respond with his individual opponent on the offensive side. 

This style of defense is strictly a man-to-man game. 
Yet I do not hesitate to say that unless there is the co- 
operation to "pick-off" when men get away even though 
the man coming down the field is not one's own, it will 
not be long before this system will crumble to pieces. 
The matter of picking-off or "shifting" is taken up later 
on in the chapter. 

Team X is lined up on the defense, and each man 
on that team knows exactly who his man is on the offense. 
Number one moves over to the side of the court where 
his man is manoeuvering. Number two shifts over to 
where his^ man is and remains directly in front of him. 
And that is carried on right through with every man on 

40 



the defense. If a player is on the right side of the court 
and his man is over towards the left side of the court, 
he would certainly be taking chances in not getting over 
to cover him. The eye can travel faster than the man, 
but when it comes to a show down, the man is really 
responsible. 

When five men are lined up in a row across the floor, 
the possibility of blocking each other off unintentionally 
will be present if the men do not shift away from each 
other. The best way to prevent blocking is for men to 
look from side to side repeatedly through the corners of 
their eyes, taking care meanwhile not to collide with their 
own men. While blocking off a man is a foul, some 
officials may not see a block-off, and a player's opponent 
may get away from him with ease, unless another mem- 
ber of his team picks him off for him. As long as the 
chances of being blocked are present, a player should 
always be on the alert, not only to look directly at his 
opponent and at the ball but also to avoid being blocked 
by one of his opponents who may come to him from the 
side or from behind. 

Once a player gets directly in front of his man, let 
him take in the whole field of play. A poor defensive 
man watches his personal opponent only. A good defen- 
sive man watches the ball as well and is ever ready to 
intercept passes and to shift to another man, should the 
other cut for the basket without any opposition, all at 
the same time. Many players watch the ball so intensely 
that an offensive player will slide in behind them, receive 
a pass and take an open shot for the basket. 

Suppose a forward goes down the floor on a dead run, 
receives a pass, takes a shot, and continues on underneath 
his basket. His opponents get hold of the ball and bring 
it down the floor very quickly. In the meantime, the 
first forward is slow in getting back on the defense and 
his opposing guard hurries up the field. Who is going 
to get him? If some one member of the team does take 
this opposing guard, the first forward hurrying back on 
the defense will take an uncovered player. "Shifting," this 
is a very important factor on the defense. A team that 
knows how to shift well is a hard team to beat. 

Here is the theory. Whenever a player hurries back 
on the defense and finds his man being covered by one of 
the mates on his team, it is his duty to make a dash for 



41 



his team-mate's personal opponent who may be some- 
where about the court in the danger zone. Take the 
above case of the forward going in on a play who con- 
tinues under the basket after the shot. He is going so 
fast that he cannot stop suddenly. Now when his oppo- 
nent runs down the field uncovered, one of the men in 
the backfield should pick him off and stay with him until 
his side gets possession of the ball. In the meantime, the 
other forward has hurried back and taken his team- 
mate's opponent. The forward also should stay with 
that man until his side gets possession of the ball. 

Stated simply, the forward and the guard on each side 
of the court should look their opponents over very 
closely, to be able to determine which is which when 
they are compelled to switch. For example, when the 
ball is thrown up at center, a common play is to have 
the guards shoot down the floor and take a pass. Now, a 
heady guard, seeing this man getting away from his for- 
ward, will leave his man and run to cover the guard com- 
ing through. It is the business of the forward on the 
same side to hurry over and cover his team-mate's free 
man as long as his own man is being covered. When 
a player does shift he must not forget to stay with his 
temporary opponent until his side gets possession of the 
ball again. Spectators too can readily determine who is at 
fault when a basket is made. 

There are various other styles of defense but few are de- 
pendable. For example, below is a system of defense that one 
of the leading colleges in the East used for several years. 
Their results were very poor until the five-man defense was 
substituted. 

When team X swept back on the defense they usually 
assumed a position with three men in front and two 
behind. These men were assigned to zones (left and 
right). The first two men down the floor on the offense 
were allowed to slip through the defense and then the 
two back men kept them covered. The men in the front 
row defense knew that two opponents had slipped 
through, for there were then three opponents in front 
of them. As shown in the diagram on page 52, the fault of 
this system lies in the possibility of men crossing over 
from zone 1 to zone 4 and leaving one man to cover two, 
which is impracticable. Number 4 had his man to cover 



42 



in zone 4 and when number 5 permitted number 1 to 
cross from zone 1 to 4 without shifting over and giving 
number 4 some assistance there was trouble ahead. 

When a team is using the three men in front and two 
men behind style of defense, there are different locations 
on the floor in which the defense can be set, but it is 
customary to set the first three men between the center 
circle and the rim of the foul circle, and the two back 
men about twelve feet out from the basket. 

There are coaches who in using the five-man defense 
let their forwards cover a certain section of the floor 
without having them follow the ball in close to the back- 
board. The forwards remain in this section of the floor 
so that if one of their team-mates gets the ball he can 
whip it blindly to that section of the floor and the for- 
wards will recover it. The University of Toronto used 
this style of play against the City College Team last 
year. The Toronto style was troublesome because 
the college guards rushed up the court to make baskets 
while the Toronto forwards remained back. By and by, 
Toronto got possession of the ball and without any loss 
of time, their guards threw the ball the entire length of 
the court to their forwards, who made baskets without 
any opposition. After a while, as should always be the 
case, one of the guards on the college team decided that 
he was going to stay back whenever his mate went up 
the field. This roving guard, going up the field_ without 
his opposing forward following him, was fed continuously 
by his mates, and he shot basket after basket at random. 

Whenever there is a "held-ball," defense is essential. 
Each player should close in on his opponent so that the 
ball is not tapped to him. He ought not only to keep his 
eye on the ball being thrown up by the official but try 
hard not to have his man get possession of the ball. His 
man may stay with him on the left side of the court, and 
just as soon as the ball is thrown up, swing over to meet 
the tap and get it that way. I recall the well-trained 
Camden team of the Eastern League. They were all 
big men and able to out-jump most of their opponents. 
One never knew who was going in for the tap at a held- 
ball. If a team figured on going in to get hold of the 
ball they were apt to be crossed by a direct tap for the 
basket, with a Camden player racing back to meet the 



43 



ball and shooting the basket without any trouble. The 
only thing for one to do was to stay in close to one's 
man, ready to run with him if he raced for the basket 
and also to catch or slap the ball away from him if a pass 
were made. 

Close defense is necessary when opponents are awarded 
a free throw after a foul. The Camden team and for 
that matter all teams in the league would place their two 
largest men underneath the basket, and if the shot was 
missed they would tap it back to the men on the sides, 
to the foul shooter or to a man waiting for a pass in the 
center of the court. The defense had to close in on these 
men in order to prevent them from getting possession of 
the ball. Many players are anxious to run up the field 
and beat their opponents to the basket before their sides 
get possession of the ball, and by doing so they leave 
their men uncovered. 




WAVING RIGHT HAND TO DISCONCERT THE SHOOTER. 



In defense nothing is more annoying to a man about to 
shoot than to have his opponent wave his right hand 
overhead. The shooter feels that the shot may be 
blocked, with the result that he hurries the ball to the 
basket. Invariably his direction will be poor and the try 
will go to waste. One should not wave his hand unless 
his opponent has the ball and appears to be contem- 
plating a try for the basket. However, when an oppo- 
nent receives a pass, he should creep up to his man so 



as to be about a yard and a half in front, and then raise 
his hand. If his man attempts a pass, it may be blocked, 
and if he shoots, his direction and aim may be impaired. 

When playing a man on the defense, one must never 
in the desire to close-in on him run up to meet him. 
There are forwards who wait for just such an oppor- 
tunity. As soon as their opponents run up to them, they 
let out on a sprint in the opposite direction. By the time 
the opponent turns, it is impossible to catch the forward 
on the way to the basket. If the forward is playing in 
and around the foul line, the guard should get in close to 
him, but if the forward is out somewhere about the 
center of the court, the guard should keep about two 
yards from him, ready to run with him, should he cut 
for the basket. 

A defensive player should keep on his toes when he is 
moving about. A good offensive forward generally will 
make a fast sprint away down to the corner of the court, 
make a sudden stop and cut in for the basket to receive 
a pass. The next time he will repeat the same thing 
but instead of cutting in to the basket, he will feint in, in 
an effort to take his opponent off guard, and, if he is suc- 
cessful, will be in a position to shoot for the basket with- 
out being blocked. Should the player on the offense 
manage to outguess his man, that man should, as a last 
resort, raise his right hand high in the hope of breaking 
the direction of the shot. 

When a man does come down the court with great 
speed and his man knows that he has been using a 
good deal of feinting, the thing for the defense to remem- 
ber is to disregard any feint that may be made to the 
outside of the court but be prepared to meet him coming 
toward the inside. The theory is that if a man is coming 
down the left side of the court, feints left and then goes 
right, and if he is successful in drawing over his opponent 
with the left feint, all he has to do is to dribble straight 
to the basket without being intercepted. On the other 
hand, if his left feint is disregarded, the player with the 
ball will be obliged to pass or have his dribble play 
broken. If he came down the same side of the court, 
feinted right and then went left, he would find himself 
at a bad angle for shooting and would be at too great a 
distance from the basket, which would leave his opponent 
time to catch up with him. 



45 



Whenever a shot is taken at the basket, players who 
are near enough ought to go in to meet the ball by leap- 
ing into the air and taking it off the backboard. A com- 
mon fault with men on the defense is that they figure 
incorrectly. "I thought John would take the ball off 
the backboard"— or— "I didn't think it was possible for 
the man to come m on a run and take the ball so quickly 
while I waited for it to come down after the shot " One 
should always leap up after a ball when going to meet 
it under an opponent's basket. A good offensive team 
is taught the advantages of following up the ball after 
a shot. If a man is under the basket waiting for the ball 
to come to him, the men coming in fast are going to 
leap over his shoulders and either shoot a basket, or, the 
next best thing, will get possession of the ball. 




POSITION. ATTACKING THE BAU,. 



On the defensive in following a ball off the backboard 
m the event that I obtain possession of the ball, I use a 
feint left or right. With my back turned to my opponent 
as he comes in for the ball, the chances are that he will 
attempt either to take the ball away or to make a "held-ball " 
Invariably the attack is fooled and drawn away from the 
play with a rapid feint to the left, followed by a feint to 
the right. 

Assuming that a player meets a forward coming down 
the floor and stops him, what is the best way to handle 



46 



him if he turns his back and holds the ball away? The 
player should not grab the forward by the arm or waist, 
but close in on him with his body touching his opponent, 
swing his left arm over his opponent's left and clip the 
ball with his left hand. Let him place his left foot 
directly in front of his man's left and a bit to the right. 
Then let him swing his right hand over his opponent's left 
shoulder and tighten up on the ball with both hands. 




There are many players who will take advantage of a 
man by clipping his right or left hand if he tries to get 
in on the ball from behind when it is in their hands. I 
remember having played with Wally Swenson, the blond- 
haired guard who was with the Bridgeport team in the 
Connecticut State League. Swenson executed this play 
to perfection. Whenever a man charged into him with 
right or left hand underneath his elbows, he would clip 
either hand, or sometimes both. With the ball in his 
hand, and his opponent's arm or arms locked underneath 
his elbows, he would pretend, by his actions,' that he was 
being held back from advancing because of "holding" on 
the part of his opponent, and in that manner induce the 
referee to call a foul on his opponent. 

At times during the course of the game while playing 
the defense an opponent will get in back of a player 



47 



and manocuver from side to side while the ball is up at 
the other end of the court. One should always keep the 
man and the ball in sight on the defense. There have 
been other suggestions, such as picking-off, intercepting 
long passes, etc., but one's man and the ball are the two 
important factors. The best thing for one to do is to feel 
in what direction one's man is traveling by touching him 
with either hand. All this time the player is also keep- 
ing his eye on the ball, by facing in the direction in which 



A LEAP TO STOP SHOT, OPPONENT GOING AROUND. 

the ball is being passed about, regardless where his 
man may be. Just as soon as the player realizes that 
he is no longer touching his opponent, he should turn 
quickly and get after him, irrespective of the location of 
the ball. Then as soon as he comes up with his man, let 
him turn immediately, for the ball may be coming in 
his direction. 

When playing an opponent who sets himself for a 
shot, a man should be'ready to leap off his feet in order 
to block the ball. What often happens is that the 
shooter will make a bluff shot at the basket and, as his 
man leaps off the ground, will then dribble around him 
and leave him far behind. It behooves the defense to 




4-8 



look before he leaps. The player should approach his 
opponent carefully with his hand raised overhead, so 
as to disconcert the shooter and with attention centered 
at both his feet so as to be able to go to the right or left 
with his man as the situation may require. 

Here is shown the incorrect way of playing a man on 
the defense. One will notice here that the guard has his 
eyes fixed and his mind concentrated on his opponent 
and hasn't the slightest idea as to where the ball is. 




INCORRECT WAY OF PLAYING AN OPPONENT ON THE DEFENSE. 



There are times when a player will manoeuver about 
underneath his own basket in an effort to get directly in 
back of his opponent. His mates, passing the ball about 
elsewhere, will wait for the opportunity and then make a 
slow loop pass to him over the guard's head as he feigns 
ignorance of the approach of the ball until it is almost 
upon him. The player either shoots at the basket or 
makes a fast get-away after catching the ball. If a 
player's opponent is in front of him, he can watch the 
ball and his opponent, intercept passes and pick off men 
who are coming through uncovered ; but once his man 
gets in back of him, unless the player is able to feel him 
as illustrated on page 47, he is taking chances of being 
scored upon easily. Furthermore, if a man's opponent 
should move away from him and he is not in a position 



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STAND Ajjffi( ~ X „ H ARMS 

Playing the position of guard when the ball is beino- 
thrown up at center, one should always play a man 
closely if he opposing center is getting the tap A headv 
guard will not only try to prevent his forward from 
running m and seizing the ball after the ball L tapped 
by his center but he must be watchful of any atKt 

t °V e IT ° f g , Uard ° f that Same tea ™ to spr nt for 
the basket uncovered or of the possibilities of a "direct- 
tap being made to the basket from the center. In that 

50 



event he must think of four things, his man, the ball, 
the opposing guard coming through, and a direct tap to 
the basket. 

I have always coached boys when playing the position 
of guard to play an opponent closely. If I were playing 
on the right side of the court, I would make it my busi- 
ness to have my left foot eight to ten inches ahead of my 
opponent's feet so that if the ball were tapped to my 
side, I would have that much more start on him in getting 
possession of the ball. I would also have both arms 
raised sideward and shoulder level for a double purpose. 
First, in going in for a center play, if I couldn't get pos- 
session of the ball, I would punch or slap the ball so 
that my opponent could not get hold of it. Secondly, if 
my opponent should by chance feint away from me, as a 
last resort, I could check him from advancing by stiffen- 
ing my right arm. 

The matter of breaking up "freezing" when the other 
team has possession of the ball is important. The one 
and only way to break this up is for each player to 
close in on his man and prevent him from receiving a 
pass by either slapping the ball away from him when a 
pass is made or intercepting the pass. Let each man 
stay with his opponent all the time. If his opponent 
should keep moving from side to side, or perhaps run up 
and down the court, he must not allow him any freedom. 
It would be foolish, however, to cover him well and lose 
sight of the ball. Two things then: let each player 
close-in on his man and keep his eye on the ball. There 
are some guards who have difficulty in playing against 
a very fast man, when the opposing team commences to 
freeze the ball. I know of instances where the guard, 
realizing that he was playing a fast man, hesitated to go 
up the field to close-in on his man because of the fear of 
being outsprinted by him in a dash to the basket. Re- 
gardless how fast a man may be, when the game is close 
and his team is behind in the score, each player must 
get right up to his man and try to break up the play. 
It is not going to do him or his team much good if he 
stands still about the center of the court and waits for 
his opponent to come to him. 

Finally, when an opponent is dribbling down the floor 
at a rapid pace, one should try not to block him by stand- 
ing right in front of him. The man should be taken from 



51 



one side to avoid accidents. The idea is to play the 
offense from the side and draw him away from the center 
of the court. If that is done one's man will be so much 
further away from his basket and the possibilities of 
making his shot good will be reduced. If the attack 
should get ahead, try to stop his shot by stretching out a 
stiff arm to the point of his elbow. There is no need of 
hacking or pushing. There are men who will figure that 
they would rather take a chance on a foul, since one 
point for the other team at the foul line is much better 
than two. Fouling an opponent intentionally is not only 
poor sportsmanship but also, with the present amateur 
rules which disqualify a player for committing four per- 
sonal fouls, poor judgment, since a player puts himself 
in jeopardy of disbarment. The morale of a team is apt 
to crumble when a regular is put out of a game and one 
ought to be careful of that fact. 




ZONE DEFENSE SYSTEM. 



52 



PLAYS 



EXECUTION AND DEFENSE 

ASSUMING that a team has a tall man jumping center 
so that they can depend upon him to give them the tap- 
off, the plays given below are practical. In case a team 
has not a tall man to give them the ball, suggestions will 
be given as to how to break up each play mentioned. I 
have used these plays with the teams that I have repre- 
sented for the last three years and I also have had the teams 
at City College use them to great advantage. 
X with numeral will take the offense on all plays. 
O with numeral and (') enclosed will take the defense on 
all plays. 

^ indicates the course in which the player is running. 

indicates the direction in which the ball 

is passed. 

Team 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 will take the offense on all plays. 
Team 1'— 2'— 3'— 4'— 5' will take the defense on all 
plays. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 1. 

In the play shown in Fig. 1, 1 runs in for the ball on 
the tap-off, taking the tap high in the air. 4 in the mean- 
time playing guard opposite 1, times his play and just as 
soon as 1 gets possession of the ball makes a break for the 
basket, 1 feeding him accurately. 1 runs back to the 
position of guard and takes 4's place. 3 swings around 
his man on the right side of the court and cuts in to 
assist 4 in making the play. 2 draws away from the 
play in order to carry his guard away from the basket. 
1 and 5 stay back to cover the defense. In case 3 and 4 
are unable to score they should throw the ball back to 
either 1, 2, or 5 to start the play over again. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 1. 

When 3 taps the ball to 1, it is the duty of 1' to watch 
any man coming through on his side. Since 1 has pos- 
session of the ball, and observes through the corner of 
his eye 4 cutting in for the basket on the same side, it 
is the duty of 1' to shift and take 4 coming through. Also 

53 



2' should not be misled by 2 in drawing up the floor. Not 
only should he glance to the left side of the court but he 
should also be ready to intercept passes on the right side 
of the court. 2' should follow 3 at all times, especially 
after the tap-off, inasmuch as 3 is getting the jump. 
Play No. 1 is used extensively by teams that have fast 




I 9 [ 

NO. 1. 

guards who are able to cut in for the basket, and it is the 
duty of the opposing guards to pick these men off should 
they outsprint their forwards to the basket. 

.EXECUTION PLAY NO. 2. 

The ball is thrown up at center, 3 taps the ball to 2 
who comes in high to receive the tap ; 5 in the meantime 
shifts away slightly to the left of his man to receive the 
pass from 2. 1 crosses over dire'ctly in back of 3', 1' in 
the meantime follows 1. 3 swings wide and cuts in 
directly for the basket and receives a long loop pass from 



54 



5. If this play is worked properly when 1' follows 1 
directly in back of 3', 3' in an effort to catch 3 as he cuts 
in for the basket will unintentionally be blocked by either 
1 or 1'. 4 follows in to the basket in an effort to help 3 
to score. 2 also, after making the play to 5, swings 
around and goes to assist in the play. 




NO. 2. 

I have worked this play with the men at college and 
also with professional teams and have seldom seen it to 
fail when worked properly. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 2. 

When 3 taps the ball to 2, 2' should stick close to 2 to 
prevent him from getting hold of the ball. 5' should 
close in on 5 for the same reason, since his center is not 
getting the tap. If 3' should be unintentionally blocked 
by either 1 or 1', 2' should be ready to pick off any man 



55 



that may get away and be cutting for the basket If 1' 
is playing his position properly, he ought not to follow 1 

blocked m baCk ° f 3 '' because of ±e P ossibi % of 3' being 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 3. 

Using the center man as a means of cutting in to the 
basket and being fed after the tap, Play No. 3 is somewhat 
similar to Play No. 2, only that the play is faster and that the 
ball is not passed into more than one man's hands. The 
ball is thrown up at center and 3 taps it directly in back 
of the side where 4 is playing. If on the left side the 




NO. 3. 



ball is tapped in back of 3's left shoulder. 4 feints left 
to outguess his opponent and suddenly goes right to meet 
the ball as tapped by 3 ; 2 in the meantime cuts directly 
in back of 3' with 2 following past the center; 3 swings 

56 



wide, turns left while on the run, and takes a direct pass 
from 4; 1 in the meantime draws away to the left side 
of the court for the purpose of taking his guard out of the 
play; 5 swings over to the side of the court to cover the 
defense and to receive a pass. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 3. 

Again the reader is reminded that after the ball is 
tapped, one must not lose the man by watching the ball. 
Hence, 3' should follow 3 after the tap; and if 2 should 
unintentionally block 3', it is the duty of 2 to shift and 
take 3 as he cuts in for the basket. 1' should not draw up 
the court too far with 1 because he is being taken away 
from the basket in order that a play may be made. As 
long as the ball is not tapped to 1 it is the duty of 1' to 
be on guard to assist 2' in case there may be need of it. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 4. 

Fig. 4 shows one of the most dangerous plays in the game 
of basketball. Every man is put into play, and if passes 
are made accurately and there are no fumbles, it ought 
to work successfully most every time that it is tried. The 
ball is thrown up at center; 3 taps it to 1 who comes in 
high for the ball and bats it directly to the hands of 4 
who swings out to meet the ball. The play is timed. As 
1 goes in on his side to receive the tap, 2 goes down on 
his side to cut in between 5 and 5'; 5 in the meantime 
runs down the field on his side and receives a long loop 
pass from 4 ; 3 after the tap swings way to the left of the 
court so that his man will not intercept the pass which 
will be made from 4 to 5 ; when the pass is made 3 cuts in 
from the side to follow up the shot or perhaps receive a 
pass from 5, who may not be in a position to shoot; 1, 2, 
and 4 cover the defense in and about the center of the 
court, playing in close and ready to receive a throw- 
back from either 3 or 5, who may be covered. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 4. 

After the ball is tapped at center, 3' should -stay with 3; 
T should stay in close to 1 and try to keep him from receiv- 
ing the ball at center; 4' should raise his right hand high 
to try to block the pass about to be made by 4. So much 
for the left side of the court. The guards and the forwards 
must work together in the matter of shifting, and coopera- 
tion in this matter is of prime importance in breaking up 



57 



plays. Hence, on the right side of the court, 2' and 5' 
SHOULD WORK TOGETHER IN SHIFTING. When 
2 goes down thd right side of the court and cuts in between 




NO. 4. 



5 and 5', 2' should not follow 2 all the way down. Assum- 
ing that 2 does block 5' out of the play, it is the .duty of 2' 
to shift and take 5 while 5' takes 2/ That is a rule that 
should be followed in all plays. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 5. 

When there is but a minute to go and one's team is two 
points behind a play such as explained in Fig. 5 may be of 
great help. It was five years ago, when I first broke into 
the professional game, that I saw this play, used successfully. 
I was with the Knickerbockers of New York and we played 
against the Newark Turners of Newark, New Jersey. The 
"Knicks" were leading by two points with but a minute to go. 
It was here that John Murray, who played guard for the 

58 



Turners and later coached Columbia University basketball 
team, called time-out. His men got together and planned to 
work this play. Chris Leonard, 3, jumping center for the 




NO. 5. 

Turners, tapped the ball back, and the play was neatly timed, 
for Beckman, 1, who was playing forward, came shooting in 
and caught the ball just as it was coming down. Murray, 4, 
cut in between Beckman, 1, and his opponent, 1', causing a 
"legal block." Beckman, 1, in the meantime had plenty of 
time to make a shot without even hurrying. He tied the 
score and later, playing an extra period, the Turners scored 
five points against the "Knicks" and won the game, 25 to 20. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 5. 

The ball being thrown up at center, 3' should stay close 
to 3 after the tap ; 4' should stay close to 4 and also be ready 
to cut in the direction of the ball when it is tapped at center ; 



59 



1 should try to freeze 1 way to the side of the court to pre- 
vent him from going in to steal the ball, 2* should do the 
same with 2; 5' should follow 5 all the way down to the 
basket should 5 make a break for his goal. It is the duty 
of the man nearest to 1, when he is about to take the shot, 
to try to block the shot by raising this right hand high and 
waving it from side to side. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 6. 

The forward giving the signals should look around and 
see just how the opposing team is playing his men. Are they 
m close or are they playing "open"? They should help him 




9 



NO. 6. ▼ 

to determine just what plays to use. In this play, assuming 
that the guards are playing the forwards closely, the use of 
the direct-tap would be timely. As the ball is thrown up at 
center 3 taps the ball to 1, 1 in order to make the play effec- 
tive, must mislead his . guard by making him believe that he 



60 



is going in directly to the center for the ball. In doing that, 
he makes a short run, stops suddenly, makes a fast turn right 
about, and dashes for the ball, which is tapped forward by 3 ; 
2 in the meantime, moves up the floor on his side in an 
effort to draw his guard away from the play ; 3 goes in after 
the tap to assist 1 ; 5 also moves in to be of some help, while 
4 covers the defense. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 6. 

Guards should always be careful that opposing forwards 
do not feint them away so as to cause them to lose their 
balance. V in this play should stay in close to 1 to prevent 
him from getting possession of the ball and at the same 
time to be ready to stay with him should he shift, feint, or 
turn in the opposite direction. 2' should stay close to 2 
but should not move too far down the court ; 2' as well as V 
when playing against a team that has a center who is out- 
jumping their center should always be on guard for a direct- 
tap, and also watch their guards on the respective sides 
coming through. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 7. 

The forward giving signals finding that he has worked 
play No. 6 successfully, suddenly turns around and uses play 
No. 7 which is another form of direct-tap, effective where 
there is a fast guard. If the forward finds that his guard 
follows him all the way through when the ball is thrown up 
at center, he should use play No. 7 from time to time. The 
ball is thrown up at center and is tapped by 3 directly forward 
and slightly to the left; the play is "timed" properly, and as 
1 starts up the floor with Y following him, 4 starts down 
the floor at the same time. To make matters easy for 4, 1 
cuts in directly between 4 and 4'; 1 does not touch either 
man as he goes through; 4 continues on the same side and 
meets the ball that was tapped by 3 and dribbles up to the 
goal to make a basket. 2 moves down the floor for the 
purpose of taking his guard out of the play; 3 cuts in for 
the basket after the tap to either take a pass from 4 who 
may not be in a position to shoot or to follow up the shot 
of 4, 1 and 5 covering the defense. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 7. 

Guards must watch opposing guards coming through, 
especially when their center man is not getting the jump at all 
center plays. When the ball is tapped forward, 1' while 
he is playing 1 closely should be ready to shift away from 



61 



1 just as soon as he sees the direction in which the ball is 
traveling Then again, 1', if he is alert, can generally tell 
whether the opposing guard is coming through by his actions 
ine opposing guard will either evade his man by moving 
away from him or upset his move by getting his feet ready 
to start. A common fault with men that play the back field 
m football is that they give themselves away by the manner 
in which they move their feet. When a defensive half-back 
sees the offensive half-back advance his left foot he can 
foretell immediately that that man is going to run to the 
left side of the field, and vice versa. The proper diiro- f or 
the offensive half-back is to keep his feet together and not 




NO. 7. 



give the play away. So, here, the defensive guard can gen- 
erally tell by watching the feet whether the opposing guard 
is coming through on the play. 2' should stay close 
to his man but ought not to be taken past the center of the 
court if his man advances toward the center; 3' should stay 



62 



with 3 after tap regardless of what the play is ; if 4' is 
blocked unintentionally, 1' should shift and take 4 as he 
makes a sprint for the basket, while 4' takes 1. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 8. 

This is an excellent play when two forwards are working 
together harmoniously. Two years ago, I played with the 
Whirlwinds, an independent team composed of some of the 
leading basketball players in the country. Play No. 8 was 
worked repeatedly with; great success, first, because the cen- 
ter (Chris Leonard at the time) gave us the tap, and secondly, 
because of the team-work between the forwards (Barney 




9. 



NO. 8. 

Sedran and myself). The play was worked as follows: 
The ball was tapped to Sedran, 1, who with the two-hand 
chest pass, threw the ball to me, 2, and continued on the run 
directly in back of me, 2. When he, 1, got within close dis- 
tance, (I), 2, made a half turn and slipped the ball into Sed- 



63 



ran's hands, 1, and drew away. At the same time, without any 
personal contact, I, 2', cut off Sedran's man, 1', while the 
latter, 1, would dribble around to the basket without any 
opposition; 4 would go down the floor and either follow, 1, 
Sedran's shot or take a pass from him, 1, if he was covered ; 
3 would swing over to the side and then cut in to assist on 
the play ; 5 would stay back and cover the defense. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 8. 

When the ball is tapped to 1, V should try to break up the 
play and if he is unsuccessful, he should stay with 1 until 
the play is discontinued. If V should be blocked uninten- 
tionally, it is the duty of 2' to shift and take 1, while V will 
immediately take 2; 3' should also follow 3 after the ball 
is tapped at center and keep his eye on the ball at the same 
time; 4' should follow down the field and prevent 4 from 
shooting or receiving a pass ; 5' should stay back with 5. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 9. 

The direct-tap and the back-tap are two dangerous plays 
and will always prove successful if the defensive guards do 
not watch their offensive guards coming through on the play. 
The ball is thrown up at center, and batted directly back to 
the guard that has been assigned to take all the back-taps. 
It is generally assigned to the left guard as he is in a better 
position to throw it with his right hand. 3 taps the ball back 
to 4 who swings over to the center and catches the ball. 5 
"times'' the play and makes a dash for the basket just as 
the ball is batted back ; 4 makes a long loop pass to 5, throw- 
ing the ball directly ahead of 5 so that he can meet the ball 
on the run instead of turning around to catch it. 2 runs 
in between 5 and 5' as they both run down the floor, in 
order to prevent 5' from interfering with 5's play; 1 and 2 
move up the court purposely to take their guards out of the N 
play and make sure that the pass will not be intercepted ; 
3 swings wide after the tap, in the opposite direction from 
which 5 is coming through, and then cuts in for the basket. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 9. 

When the Trenton team played the Original Celtics of 
New York a three game series to decide the winner of the 
Eastern League last year, one of the games won by the Tren- 
ton team was won mainly by using play No. 9. It was 
Murray Tome, 5, the fast roving guard for the Trenton Team 
that cut for the basket time and again and received a pass 
from his mate Tom Barlow, 4, and scored at random. True, 



64 



the play was worked to perfection from receiving the back- 
tap, 4, making an accurate throw and 5, outsprinting his man, 
5 , to the basket. The guards failed to shift, and that ac- 
counted for the defeat. In the final play-off game, the series 
being tied at one all, the Celtics team checked this play, which 
will be described below, and won the championship 'of the 
Eastern League on March 25th at the Camden Armory 



<5" 




NO. 9. 



1 and 2', realizing that their center is not getting the tap 
at center, play their forwards closely all the way in to the 
center and no further, and are ready to shift and take the 
guard on their respective side who is coming through, should 
it become necessary to do so. 3' stays with his man after the 
ball is batted back ; 4' tries his utmost to prevent 4 from re- 
ceiving the back-tap and if he fails, immediately raises his 
right hand high and tries to break up the direction of the pass 
5 makes a dash down the floor after 5, while 2' is always 

65 



ready to shift and take 5 if he is ahead of 5' ; if 2' does shift 
and take 5, it is the duty of 5' to take 2. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 10. 

On all back-taps from the center, it is the duty of the two 
guards to back one another up in case the play fails, and 
secondly, if the guard who takes the back-tap finds that his 



"5" 




NO. 10. 

forward prevents him from making a pass he can relay it 
to his other guard, who swings over directly in back of him 
to make a pass. When guards work together that way, they 
are making rapid strides toward perfecting their game. No. 
10 is a slow play, yet, 'very effective if worked properly. The 
ball is thrown up at center and 3 taps the ball directly in back 
of him, while 4 swings over and catches the tap on its 
downward course; 4 finds that 4' closes right in on him, 
makes a half turn, and passes on ball underhand to 5, who 



GG 



swings over to the center to back up the play ; 5 is compelled 
to get rid of the ball quickly and makes a snappy overhand 
pass to 2 at the side of the court, while in the meantime, 1 
crosses over directly in back of 3' and 3 swings around and 
receives a pass from 2. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 10. 

When the ball is batted back by 3, it is the duty of 4' and 
5' to break up the play by preventing the forwards from get- 
ting possession of the ball. 2' should stay close to 2 part 
way up the floor but not past the center ; the trouble is caused 
in this play between 1 and V and 3 and 3'; when 1 runs di- 
rectly in back of 3' so that 3' in turning about to get 3 will 
unintentionally run into 1 or V, it is the duty of V to shift 
and take 3 if the latter gets away while 3' is to pick off 1 ; 
unless these two groups work together 3 will always get 
away from his man. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 11. 

This play has been used by the teams that I have coached 
at City College for the past four years and has worked won- 
derfully well wherever used. It is an out-of-bounds play, 
with the ball in possession of the team which has its basket 
right close to where this play is about to start. This is the 
way I had my men line up just as soon as the ball was out of 
bounds under the City College basket. The tallest man on the 
team, 5, hurries out, and gets possession of the ball, and 
moves slightly away from the basket ; 2 and 3 are guards and 
they do the cutting to the sides while 1 and 4, presumably fast 
men, swing around and cut-in to receive a pass from 5. 
5 here exercises judgment in passing the ball to whichever 
one of the two forwards is in the better position to receive 
the pass. After 5 makes the pass he swings out and then 
makes a break for the basket to follow the shot. THIS 
PLAY MUST BE TIMED. The men work in pairs and 
the two getting into position first snap into this formation, 
executing it speedily. Let us take just one side or pair and 
see how they should go through with their part. Take 1 and 
2. Just as soon as the ball is called out and 5 has possession 
of the ball, 2 starts on a run directly in back of 1'; 1 in the 
meantime waits until 2 comes directly in front of him, and 
makes a sudden break for the basket by swinging around 
2' who is following 2 to the side. If the play is timed well, 
V will always be held up for a moment or he will be blocked 
unintentionally by either 2 or 2'; the same manoeuvering is 



67 




1 



NO. 11. 

repeated by the other pair 3 and 4. There should be a distance 
of three feet between Ps man and 2's man to enable them to 
have a running start on P and 2'. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 11. 

Have the players learned to shift? When they know how, 
they can break the play up in the following manner. As 
soon as the ball rolls out of bounds, let each one take his man, 
without getting too close to him. In this play it is ex- 
tremely hard for players to watch the ball and their men at 
the same time, yet, as long as they are twenty-five to thirty 
feet away from the basket there is no harm done. Just as 
soon as the pair begin to work, the players should commence 
to shift at once. 2' should follow 2 and at the same time 
glance through the corner of his eye to the right of the court 



68 



to see how 1' is taken care of and be ready to shift; when 2 
gets abreast of 1' and 1 swings around and cuts for the basket, 
2' should leave his man at once and go to 1 while V takes 2. 
The same thing is repeated between 3 and 4 while pairing 
up with 3' and 4' ; 5' should be ready to go and leave 5 before 
and after the pass is made from the out-of-bound position. 
5' should glance around to see if any man has broken loose 
and, if so, he . should run to cover the man. In this play, if 
it is successful, 1 and 2, will be cutting in to receive a pass 
without any opposition, and 5' is the only man who can come 
to the rescue, to prevent these men (1-4) from receiving a 
pass and shooting. 

The two most important things to remember in connection 
with an out-of-bound ball are these: 

(1) a player should not stand directly in front of his op- 
ponent who is about to throw the ball in from the outside, be- 
cause he is leaving an opening for him to cut in for the basket 
after he makes a pass to one of his mates on the court. The 
thing to do is to stand to the right of him if his basket is in 
that direction, or to the left as the case may be, then in or- 
der to get to his basket, the out-of-bounds player will have to 
go around his man to the center of the court. If a stand is 
taken directly in front, the out-of-bounds man may outsprint 
his opponent to the basket after the pass and there may not be 
anybody near enough to shift and take him. On the "other 
hand, if he freezes his opponent from the side and compels 
him to go around, even if his opponent does beat him bv 
swinging around after he makes a pass, he at least has the 
man in the center of the court and there may be someone 
near enough to take him. 

(2) one should not play one's ' man too close to the 
outside line. If an opponent is standing still, a player need 
not fear so much ; but, if he backs up purposely, starts on the 
run toward the line, and makes a pass at the same time, the 
player will find that in a majority of cases his opponent will 
outsprint him to the basket because he will have a running 
start The opponent should step back a yard or two, keeping 
on his toes with his arms raised sideways, glancing to the 
side occasionally so that he does not run into anybody, and 
be prepared to meet his man on the run. 

EXECUTION PLAY. NO. 12. 

No. 12 shows 2 with the ball on the outside of the 
court and the position of 2' (standing directly in front) ; 2 
makes a pass to 1 who quickly turns his back to his opponent 



69 



and holds the ball out with both arms outstretched; 3 
and 4 inter-cross one another and cut for the basket ; 2 also 
cuts for the basket after the ball is passed to 1 ; all three men 
2, 3, 4, cut at the same time and 1 makes a pass to whichever 
one of the three he thinks best; 5 swings over to the center 
of the court to cover the defense. On some courts where 
there is plenty of room, 2 can back up three yards and start 
on the run to the out-of-bounds line, make a pass before 
crossing the line (while he is on the run), and then cut for 
the basket and have his mates feed him. If you have the 
playing space try this the next time you have the opportunity 
and see how satisfactory the results will be for you. 



~7T 




9 

NO. 12. 



DEFENSE PLAY NO. 12. 

The position in the diagram of 2 and 2' shows where 2' 
should play 2 on the defense when a ball is thrown in from 
the outside of the court. 1' should try to prevent 1 from re- 



70 



ceiving a pass from 2 ; 3' and 4' working together ought to 
break up the play as planned by 3 and 4 in intercrossing each 
other; -if 3' shifts properly (if shifting is necessary), 3' 
should take 4 while 4' takes 3. Whenever two men shift, 
they should stay with the new men until the play is com- 
pleted. If the ball goes out of bounds, the men can run 
back to their own opponents again, or, soon after, when 
the defensive side gets the ball Furthermore, in this play 
should either 3 or 4 get away from their men, 1', who hap- 
pens to be playing back with his man, should shift and take 
either one of the two, 3 or 4, depending upon which of the 
two is nearest to the basket; 5' should keep close to 5. 




NO. 13. 



EXECUTION PLAY NO. 13. 

If a team can work this play to a point where each man per- 
forms his definite assignment, they will find play No. 13 
most satisfactory from out-of-bounds at the side of the court. 



71 



Here we see No. 1 making a pass to 4; just as soon as the 
ball is passed 2 runs in the direction of 3 and 3'; 3' turning 
in an effort to catch up with 3 will probably bump into 2 
or 2'; 4 makes a long loop pass to either one of the group of 
men cutting who are free, 3 or 5 ; 2, 4 and 1 stay back and 
cover the defense. When these men cut they should call 
aloud, and hold their right arms raised high. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 13. 

After the ball is passed in from the outside, V should stay 
close to 1 ; 3' while playing 3 close by, should glance to the 




NO. 14. 

sides occasionally and see if there are any men on the oppos- 
ing team manoeuvering about him, who may block him off 
on the play; if 2, running in between 3 and 3', should unin- 
tentionally block 3' it is the duty of 2' to shift and take 3 
coming down the court while 3' takes 2 and stays with him 



72 



until the play is completed ; 5' should stay with 5 ; 4' should 
stay with 4 even though he is remaining back of the defense. 
A man may outguess his opponent by making a sudden break 
for the basket. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 14. 

The first thing for the forwards to do immediately after 
one of their mates takes possession of the ball under their op- 
ponents' basket is to hurry up the field to their respective 
sides ; 5 throws the ball to 4 who turns and quickly throws the 
ball to 3 ; 3 jumps to the side in an effort to draw away from 
the center, turns and returns pass to 4 who continues on up 




2. 



NO. 15. 

the court and at same time feeds either 1 or 2 who cross for 
the purpose of evading their guards. If 1 or 2 receives 
the pass and is able to dribble in to the basket, let him do so ; 
but if not, he should return the ball to 4 who continues 
on through to shoot or to follow up the ball. 



73 



DEFENSE PLAY NO. 14. 

When 4 receives the ball from 5 it is the duty of 4' to stay 
close to 4 and prevent him from making a play while he has 
possession of the ball; 3' should do likewise, and also when 
3 draws over to the side on a dribble, 3' should try to slap 
the ball away from 3. Furthermore, when 3 returns the ball 
to 4, 4' should stay close to 4 until the play is completed. 
Even if 4 runs all the way down the court 4' should follow 4 
until the play is completed. 2' and 1' should stay close to 
their men as they cross from side to side and keep their 
eye on the ball at the same time to prevent either 1 or 2 from 
receiving a pass. They (T or 2') should be ready to leave 
their men and take 4 if he continues on down the floor with- 
out any opposition. 5' should cover 5 as long as the other 
side has possession of the ball. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 15. 

In this play the same positions should be taken on both the 
offense and defense by the same players. Assuming that 
you are on the offense, 1 and 2, the two tallest men on the 
team, should hurry under the basket, as soon as a foul is 
called on their opponents. 3 and 4 remain at the side of the 
court to mislead their opponents. When 5 takes a shot, 
3 and 4 run to their respective corners of the court, and if 
the shot is missed, 1 or 2, depending on the side from 
which the ball rebounds, should bat the ball directly in back 
of them without even looking for 3 or 4. It is poor policy 
for 3 and 4 to stay in their corners directly in back of 1 and 2. 
If they do that, both 3' and 4' will close in on 3 and 4. The 
best thing for 3 and 4 to do, is to stay about four yards away 
and just as soon as the ball is shot make a dash for the 
corners. _ It is not advisable for 1 or 2 to try to shoot at the 
basket with 1' or 2' guarding them so closely; nor is it ad- 
visable to tap the ball back to 5. The most effective thing 
to do, is to tap the ball back to either 3 or 4 to make sure 
that they keep possession of the ball. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 15. 

After the shot, 5' should step directly in front of 5 to 
intercept the ball in case it is batted back to 5. 1' and 2' 
should remain close to 1 and 2 and try to get possession of 
the ball when it rebounds off the backboard. When playing 
on the defense that way, 1' and 2' should watch the positions 
of 1 and 2. It is a common thing for men who are playing 
their position under the basket when a foul is being shot to 



74 



back up a yard or two, and then leap over the shoulders of 
their opponents after the shot is taken, and either tap the 
ball into the basket or bat it to one of their mates. It is the 
duty of V and 2' to move out with 1 and 2 to prevent them 
from leaping over their shoulders. 3' and 4' should remain 
close to 3 and 4 regardless of their positions. 




NO. 16. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 16. 

A team that has a man with a good shot playing guard 
will find this play at the foul line very effective if worked 
properly. 1 and 2, two tall men, take their positions beneath 
the basket; 3 and 4 play to the sides, as in play 15, but 
4 goes into the corner while 3 swings over directly in back 
of 5 leaving a space of from four to five yards. 3 is the man 
with the good shot and the ball should be passed to him 
either way as suggested ; first, 2 can bat the ball back to 5, 



75 



who swings the ball directly over his head to 3, who in turn 
meets the pass and then shoots for the basket; secondly 2 
can bat the ball directly in back to 4 who runs to the corner 
to meet it and immediately turns and throws the ball back to 
3 for a set shot. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 16. 

After the shot, 5' should step in front of 5 to intercept the 
ball m case it is batted back to 5. V and 2' are to follow close 
with 1 and 2 and prevent them from making a play 4' 




NO. 17. 



should stay out with 4 and if he runs into the corners 4' 
should follow him quickly to prevent him from getting pos- 
session of the ball. 3' should stay with 3 after the shot re- 
gardless of where 3 goes. 3 may purposely start on a run 
to the corners in an effort to get 3' moving in that direction 



76 



then stop suddenly, and run back to the center in back of 5 
to receive a pass. 3' should be prepared for the feint or 
bluff run by 3. 

EXECUTION PLAY NO. 17. 

The "Camden Play" is one of the finest plays that I know 
whenever a held ball is called under an opponent's basket. 
Last season the Camden team, representatives of the Eastern 
League, used this play time and again successfully. The 
ball is thrown up between 1 and V ; 2 purposely swings over 
to the side to mislead his opponent and just as the ball is 
thrown up, swings back and meets the ball as it is batted to 
him by 1. 3 runs down the floor, turns about, and runs back 
crossing directly behind 4'. 4 hurriedly swings away from 4' 
and makes a dash for the basket. 2 makes a long loop pass 
to 4 who either shoots, or dribbles to the basket for a shot. 
5 swings back to the backfield and covers the defense with 2 ; 
1, after tapping the ball to 2, cuts for the basket to assist 4 
in the play. 

DEFENSE PLAY NO. 17. 

After the ball is thrown up by the official, 1' should remain 
close to 1 regardless of what part of the court he goes to, if 
the opposing side gets possession of the ball. 2' should stay 
with 2 if he draws away from the play, and yet, 2' should 
also be ready to run back with him to intercept the tap from 
1 to 2. This play again centers about 3' and 4' in shifting. 
When 3 runs down the court and suddenly turns and cuts 
directly in back of 4', thus cutting off or perhaps unintention- 
ally blocking 4', it is the duty of 3' to shift immediately and 
take 4, while 4' should pick off 3. Every man on the defense 
in playing his man should try to play directly in back of him 
so that he can not only see his man, but can follow the ball at 
the same time without turning around. So in this play, 3', 
playing directly in back 'of 3, can see exactly what is happen- 
ing when 3 runs in back of 4' to cut him off from the play. 
3' then can pick 4 without much trouble. 5' should stay with 
5 even though he should move in the opposite direction for 
the purpose of taking his man out of the play. 4 



77 



QUESTIONABLE TRICKS OF THE GAME 

I FEEL it entirely incumbent upon me to inform my read- 
ers of certain tricks, legal or illegal, which have been 
used against me at some time or another in my basket- 
ball career, so that they will be prepared for any emergency 
that may arise. It is only in taking proper recognition of 
these pointers that a player can perfect his game. As long as 
there are possibilities that an opponent may work these 
tricks, a player who lacks the foresight to guard himself 
is apt to be surprised at a critical moment. 




CUPPING PLAYER'S ELBOWS. 



In the chapter on Playing the Defense, I warned my 
readers not to tackle a man with both arms from behind 
because it is very common to see a clever guard clip both of 
his man's arms with his elbows or even drag his man a yard 
or two to make it appear as though he was being held around 
the waist. I have not forgotten the time when, as a young- 
ster breaking into the game, I charged into Wally Swenson, 
in the manner described in that chapter. I tried to make a 
held ball by approaching from behind. Wally, however, 
clipped both of my arms between his elbows and his hips 
and dragged me fully fifteen feet. Grumbling over what I 
regarded a poor decision did not help any. 

When on the defense, do not try to play your man too 



7? 



closely lest your opponent give your arm a jerk and make a 
sprint for the basket. I first had this trick worked on me 
when I was playing guard against a very fast forward. I 
was all on edge to keep up with him and thought it best 
to play right up close to him. Much to my surprise, this 
heady olayer came abreast of me, with an air of unconcern 
suddenly grasped my wrist, gave it a quick jerk and made 
a dash for the basket. By the time I was able to turn, I 
found that he was way under the basket calling for the 
ball. In the future I played up fairly close to my man on 
the defense, but made sure to keep my arms taut to prevent 
my opponent from grasping hold of them. 

Waiting for the ball to come off the backboard with both 
arms raised over my head, I was astonished one time to 
find that my opponent very skillfully snapped my right 
arm downward as he approached me from the side. If I 
tried tq leap up into the air to catch the ball, which was the 
proper thing for me to do, I found myself standing flat- 
footed on the ground. I staggered to the side as the ball 
struck my chest and it rolled out of bounds. If I had been 
prepared for what was going to happen, I might have caught 
the ball with one hand. A player, if he is right handed, de- 
pends on his right hand in catching a ball on receiving it 
and then bringing the left up almost simultaneously. When 
a man is covering the defense in the danger zone, it is advis- 
able for him to stand firm and keep the muscles in both 
arms taut, especially when he is taking the ball off the 
backboard after a shot. 

There are some players who, when jumping at a held 
ball, will, instead of striking the ball when it is thrown up 
by _ the official, intentionally strike their opponent's right 
wrist, if he is using his right hand to tap the ball, in order 
to break the direction of the tap. The player does this 
when he realizes that his opponent can easily out-jump him, 
because if he felt otherwise there would be no need of his 
using this crafty tactic. There are times also when a man 
who is the equal of his opponent in jumping will take the 
risk of applying the trick to make doubly sure of the tap. 
The tricky player will strike the wrist first and then follow- 
through after the ball to bat it to one of his mates. 

Some forwards in their desire to get away from their 
guards will either grasp an opponent's wrist or pull his 
shirt to throw him off his balance. On the other hand there 
are guards who, if they can get close enough, will step upon an 
opponent's foot for the purpose of delaying him in cutting 

79 



for the basket. Naturally the guard will have to be very 
close to his man to work this trick successfully. It is poor 
judgment to stay too close to a guard because one should 
give himself a little more room to get away. On the other 
hand, if a player will only back up on his guard and then 
start in on a sprint, he will not give the guard a chance to 
play any trick on him. * 

"Legal Blocking" is one of the most important factors in 
the success of basketball teams. By a legal block I mean 
intentionally managing to cause an opponent to run into me 
or to the man playing opposite me to delay him, if only for 
a second, in his flight to cover his man. " I do not lay my 
hands upon him nor do I apply any intentional bodily con- 
tact to bring on this legal block. To illustrate: A and B 
may be working together on the offense, when suddenly B 
will run directly in black of A' and continue off to the side 
of the court, with B' following him. A will swing off in 
the opposite direction from that in which B and B' are 
traveling and make a sudden dash for the basket. If the 
move is timed right by A there is bound to be a momentary 
collision between A' and either B or B' when A' turns 
around and tries to catch hold of A as the latter cuts away 
from him. There are many players who make it their busi- 
ness to manoeuver about the court while their team has 
possession of the ball and intentionally hip or block-off players 
of the opposing team. A proficient player will always look 
from side to side when he is on the defense and be on the 
look-out for any of his opponents who may purposely be 
closing in on him for the purpose of starting a block. A 
player who can be easily blocked is considered a weak de- 
fensive man in basketball circles. 

Whenever charging into an opponent who has possession 
of the ball, the player should not be satisfied with making a 
held ball. He should make a play for the ball if he can. 
Some strong defensive guards have the uncanny ability of 
snapping the ball out of their opponent's hands. They 
charge their man, thrust the left forearm forward to the 
stomach putting the pressure on the ball, and at the same 
time they bring their right hand under the ball, thus getting 
a firm hold with both hands. Once they have their man 
and are sure that they have the ball firmly in their hands, 
they draw the upper part of the left shoulder into the move- 
ment at the same time and twist and turn to the right in 
an effort to extract the ball from the opponent's grasp. This 
movement is done so quickly that it seldom fails once 
the man gets a firm hold on the ball. The safest way for a 



80 



player to protect himself whenever he is charged in this 
way is to tighten up on the ball and bend his trunk far 
forward to prevent his opponent from slipping his left arm 
around the ball. 

Playing in Springfield, Mass., two years ago, I happened 
to observe for the first time a certain player who attracted 
attention by clever tactics both on the defense and offense. 
I saw him go down the floor at top speed after an opponent 
who was cutting for a pass, and just as the man was about 
to shoot, he struck one of his arms and instantly raised both 
of his own arms over his head. The raising of his own 
arms was done to mislead the officials. A player striking 
the arms of another who is running forward to the basket 
will have fouls called on him repeatedly for hacking. This 
player, however, acted his part well. By raising his arms 
upward soon after he struck his opponent's arm and broke 
the direction of his shot, he made it difficult for the officials 
to determine whether or not he had intentionally hacked 
his man. If a player is in close to his opponent and each 
has his hands on the ball, he should be as aggressive as he 
can to prevent his man from taking the ball away. At the 
same time care must be exercised, for aggressiveness is 
very apt to lead to the calling of fouls. 

The following trick may appear insignificant but it is 
important and dangerous when properly executed. I place 
the discussion of the play in this chapter because one element 
of it may appear questionable to some people, although it is 
not a flagrant violation of any particular rule. I have cau- 
tioned players to back up three yards when they find an op- 
ponent playing them too closely. It is a fine thing to re- 
member and it is advisable to change one's style from time 
to time so that an opponent will not foresee one's move. 

As the trick is executed the player draws his man off to 
the side of the court at a fairly fast pace, comes to a sudden 
halt, and then draws him to the center of the court with 
three fast steps to make his opponent believe that he is to 
continue in that direction. He then makes a rapid, full turn 
in the opposite direction and cuts for the basket. In per- 
forming this act he keeps very close to his opponent. As he 
turns he holds his arms extended waist high apparently 
for the purpose of receiving a pass upon completing the 
movement, but, instead, brushes against the nearest arm of 
his opponent. This momentary touching of his opponent's 
arm prevents the guard from turning with him at the in- 
stant and therefore gives him the advantage of a yard in 



81 



which to beat his man in a sprint to the basket. This inten- 
tional touching of an opponent's arm is the questionable ele- 
ment of the play, but it need not be done in a manner to 
incur a foul. 

Generally a man chooses to try this play when the ball is 
being passed near the center of the court so that he may 
be able to receive a pass without loss of time. If he^attempts 
the play when the ball is under his opponent's basket, when 
he turns and gets away, it means that his mates will be com- 
pelled to make a long loop pass to him. Usually, however, 
the play is started when the ball is near the center of the 
floor or is held by a team-mate outside behind one's own 
basket. 

In a very important league game in which I participated 
several years ago, I was very much provoked when one 
of the opposing players batted the ball out of bounds after 
we had made a basket. We were a few points behind and 
there were but a few minutes left to play. The officials, in 
the meantime, stood in the center of the floor calling for the 
ball. The purpose of my opponent's batting the ball out of 
bounds was to kill time. By the time the official brought the 
ball back to center, almost half a minute had been lost. 
Every member of my team had hurried back to his position 
after the basket, hoping to get another chance to tie the score. 
There are officials who will call a foul for delaying the game 
in this manner; yet this offending player was willing to 
take the risk of having a foul called on him, figuring that 
every minute's delay was an advantage to his team. 

Last year when the Original Celtics traveled to Coats- 
ville, Pa., to play that team in the Eastern League, the fans 
that followed the daily accounts of the games were amazed 
to hear Coatsville, tail-enders in the race, had defeated the 
Celtics who were leading the league at the time. In that game 
the Celtics were ahead by the score of 25 to 24 with but 
three minutes to play. A little while later Lou Sugarman, 
playing forward for the Coatsville team, threw a basket 
from mid-floor and put his team in the lead by a point. 
Soon after the basket was made, Sugarman again got pos- 
session of the ball and happened to be fouled by one of 
my team mates. We took our positions around the foul 
line, while Sugarman slyly took his time, walking up to 
the foul line at a slow gait. He assumed his position, 
looked at the basket for several seconds, bent his trunk as 
a preliminary move to his shot, then suddenly came to an 
upright position holding the ball in his left hand, and put 
his hand to 4iis right eyelid. He appeared to be in distress 



82 



as though there was a foreign substance in his eye. Know- 
ing Sugarman as I did, I realized that this little master of 
the game was only pretending and that his object was to 
delay the game. There was a time-out called, and the Coats- 
ville players surrounded him in order to give him relief. 
He soon took his position at the foul line and actually started 
to repeat the same thing, but this time just touched his eyelid 
and shot immediately afterward. He missed the shot and 
as the Celtics were working the ball up the court, the whistle 
blew for the end of the game. 

There are players who will try to disconcert foul shooters. 
Some will talk to a player incessantly until the ball leaves 
his hand. In a good-natured way they will josh the shooter 
and inquire about his financial investments or whether he 
has received letters from his sweetheart, etc. I have observed 
others raise a hand and point to one of their mates across 
the floor and appear to be directing their team mates on the 
floor. Others will stoop to touch their shins just as the 
ball is about to leave the shooter's hands. One should not 
be sensitive to what opponents do in this situation ; he should 
simply concentrate the eye and mind on the basket. 

Some players take advantage of every opportunity to have 
officials call fouls on their opponents through clever acting. 
If they can draw a foul at a time when a foul is most needed, 
they consider themselves valuable members of their team. 
In this respect I recall a player who jumped center for 
leading professional teams in the east. He gave officials 
more trouble than any other player in the game because of 
his ability to draw fouls. At the center play, when the ball 
was to be thrown up, his plan was to utter a cry of pain 
on the jump and fall back. Frequently, fouls were called 
on his opponents for charging on the jump. Of course, the 
players on the opposing team registered their disapproval 
of the decision rendered. The official invariably responded : 
"I'll call my decisions as I see them." Fortunately, as the 
game proceeded, the official became aware of the trick and 
thereafter acted accordingly. 

Another player used to draw fouls in the following man- 
ner : he would run down the floor at a fast .pace and just 
as he was touched by an opponent closing-in rapidly for 
the ball, he would fall to one side and turn over. In a ma- 
jority of his attempts, fouls were called on his opponents 
for charging. Numerous other means are used by players to 
"draw" fouls. The officials generally have a mighty hard 
time of it and sometimes they are severaly criticized by 



33 



players and local newspapers, either for the calling or non- 
calling of fouls on opposing players. 

Stealing of signals by players on the bench plays a very 
important part in the winning of games. It is true that 
signals are an important element in team-work but a team 
playing together ought to accomplish just as much whether 
they know their opponents' signals or not. There is a story 
told that Glenn Warner, the great football coach at the 
University of Pittsburgh, oncq gave a strong opposing team 
the signals which his team was going to use against them. 
When the game was called that Saturday afternoon, every 
member of the opposing team was well acquainted with the 
signals and knew just where every play was directed. But 
the strategy used by the Pittsburgh team and its team work 
was so effective that they out-played the other team and 
won by a wide margin/ 



84 



SIGNALS 



1HAVE always found it best to have a forward rather 
than a center or a guard give the signals. The reason for 
this is that the pivot man has the most prominent posi- 
tion on the floor. The players of both teams and spectators 
as well watch the center circle because it is there that 
the ball is tossed up. If the center man gives the signals, 
there is a possibility of their being stolen. Another reason for 
having a forward giving them is that every man on his team 
can face him whereas the guards, being behind the center, 
will not be able to get the signals unless they are too con- 
spicuous. 

A team should be ready to change its signals at a moment's 
notice. It is not necessary to use a new set. Simply pass 
on the giving of them to another man, as from left forward 
to right forward. When the change is made the original 
man should pretend that he is still giving them while he 
is actually receiving them from the other forward. It is 
best that both forwards face each other, provided, of course, 
their doing so doesn't conflict with the signals. 

Forwards should not flash their signals too long. The 
center man should come around to the center position, about 
two yards in back of the circle, look at the forward giving 
the signals, and then walk up to his position. All that the 
forward is interested in is to flash the signals to the center 
man while it is the duty of every other member of the 
team to be alert and ready to meet the signals. 

Sometimes signals are not seen because opponents are in 
the way. Should that be the case, as it very often is, one 
should move to the right or left before the center gets to 
his position, and set himself for the play. It should be re- 
membered that the forward giving the signals cannot wait 
to see if other men on his team are ready, but directs his 
attention to the center man. Occasionally, the man giving 
the signals should glance about to see just how some of his 
mates are being played. If the other team -has a weak 
defensive man, it is advisable to direct most of the plays 
to that part of the court. The same thing is done in football 
as well as in baseball. In football if the opposing tackle is 
weak, most quarterbacks will direct their attention to off- 
tackle nlays. Also, in baseball, if a third baseman is a slow 
man, the opposing team will use a bunting game along that 



85 



line. So here, a heady forward should flash signals to 
obtain the best results. 

Direct-taps as well as back-taps, should be assigned to one 
man before the game gets underway. A forward who is fast 
and can shoot well under the basket should take the direct- 
taps, while at all times the left guard should take the back- 
taps, because he is in a better position to throw the ball with 
his right hand than is the right guard. Both guards should 
work together on all back-taps. If the left guard goes to 
receive the ball, the right guard must swing over directly 
in back of his mate to cover the defense in case the play 
goes bad or the ball is intercepted. On the other hand, if 
the left guard goes in for the ball, he is not always in a 
position to feed his mates, and in that case all he has to do 
is to turn slightly to the right and pass the ball to the right 
guard who is covering and he in turn can make a play if it 
is not too late. 

At a time-out the men should get together and plan the 
next three plays, so that it will not be necessary for the 
forward to give the signals. 



SUGGESTED SIGNALS 

Set 1 

Forward — Feet together for A. 

Feet together for B. 
Guards — Pull up right side of pants for guard on A's side. 

Pull up left side of pants for guard on B's side. 

Direct-tap — Rub hair all the way back with right hand. 
Back-tap — Pull up pants with both hands. 
Set 2 

Forward — Look at center and chew gum for A. 

Look at center and no chewing for B. 

Guards — Look away from center to guard on same side, 
meaning opposite guard is to take tap. 
Look away from center to the left side of the 
court, meaning guard on right side of the court 
will receive tap. 

Back-tap — Forward bends his head down before starting 
play. 

Direct-tap — Pull shirt at the neck with the right hand. 

86 



Set 3 

Forward — Closed right fist for A. 

Open right hand for B. 

Guards —Closed right fist with thumbs extending out to 
the side to guard on A's side. 
Open right hand, fingers together with thumb 
extending out to the side of guard on B's side. 

Back-tap —Draw right hand slightly back of thigh. Make 
sure that right hand is out of sight. 

Direct-tap — Rub nose with right hand. 

Set 4 

Forward — Face front, hands down for A. 

Face opposite side, hands clown for B. 

Guards —Face front, one hand on hip for guard on A's 
; side. 

Face front, hands on knee for_ A to pass to 
guard going down on the same side. 
Face opposite side, same play for forward and 
guard on the other side. 
Direct- tap — Rub chin with right hand. 
Back-tap — Rub left wrist with right hand. 
Set 5 

Forward — Head down for A. 

Head up for B. 
Guards —Bend trunk and rest left hand flat on left knee. 

Right hand on right knee for man on A's side. 

Bend trunk and rest right hand flat on right 

knee ; left hand on left knee for man on B's side. 
Back-tap — Pull right ear. 

Direct-tap — Rub left shoulder with right hand. 
Set 6 

Center giving signals in this play. 

Forwards— Center stands with feet together and walks up 
to the center on the right side for A. 
Center stands with feet together and walks up to 
the circle on the left side for B. , 

Guards —Center with right foot pointing slightly outward 
flashes the signal and walks forward to the cen- 
ter position for guard on A's side. 
Center with left foot pointing slightly outward 
flashes the signal and walks forward to center 
position for guard on B's side. 



87 



Back-tap —Place right hand momentarily in back of right 
ear. 

Direct-tap — Scratch briskly in back of right ear. 

During the flashing of this set of signals, the center man 
should glance constantly toward either of the forwards as 
though in the act of receiving the signal from them, in order 
to distract attention from himself. The forwards should 
also act as though they are giving the signals. 



88 



TRAINING 



IT IS my personal belief after many years of playing and 
coaching that the greatest asset to a basketball player is 
speed. Regardless of whether a man knows the finer 
points of the game, he is considered a dangerous player so 
long as he is able to travel faster than his opponents. De- 
velopment of speed, then, should be the primary aim of every 
person who aspires to excel at the court game. 

For the preliminary training period it is therefore sug- 
gested that men devote themselves for at least a week solely 
to track work for the purpose of getting their legs in condi- 
tion. In my own experience I have observed that players 
invariably spend little if any time on the track Their prac- 
tice from the outset is in scrimmaging or shooting. I would 
not handle a ball during this period, but would work con- 
scientiously to develop and condition my sprinting appara- 
tus. If a player trains faithfully and diligently in this respect, 
he will be well repaid for his efforts when the season opens 
for several reasons : first, he will be able to execute his moves 
with ease and rapidity ; second, there will be a better physical 
response to his mental operations because of the tenacity of 
his muscles ; third, he will not have to face the drudgery and 
weariness of overcoming the stiffness which naturally comes 
to one who must play when not in the proper physical con- 
dition. 

It is often said in athletic circles that "an athlete lasts 
as long as his legs hold out." The large muscles of the pelvis, 
back and thigh are made to do much work. For instance, in 
the execution of shooting, the whole weight of the trunk is 
allowed to drop further down than is necessary for the econ- 
omy of the play, thus burdening the muscles involved with 
great poundage. Then again the constant shifting, turning, 
, feinting, sudden halts after fast spurts, and just as sudden 
starts, mean rapid contraction of the extensors of the leg. 
In the early period of the season let a player do track 
work and he will avoid much of the unnecessary wear 
and tear which will otherwise result. Let him practice run- 
ning, as a boxer in training does, with shifts, feints, short 
spurts, and sudden stops. It will prepare him for the rapid 
body adjustments necessary when in action. 

89 



During the training period it is advisable for a player, after 
completing his daily work-out, to rub his legs thoroughly with 
a combination of witch-hazel, alcohol, and soap liniment to 
prevent stiffness. After the playing season is well under 
way this is unnecessary because the leg muscles are by this 
time "toned." In the early part of a campaign basketball 
players often experience what is known in athletic circles as 
a "charley-horse." This is no more than a cramp due to a 
contraction of the leg muscles against the nerve, owing to a 
lack of blood supply, which causes intense pain. When this 
comes on, rub and massage that area vigorously so as to 
create normal heat and draw the circulation back through 
these parts. 

Hot lemonade or hot tea is a splendid drink for a man to 
take after a basketball, game. The tendency on the part of 
most players is to take something cold into their systems. 
There is no greater detriment to the proper functioning of 
the kidneys and stomach than for one to take a cold drink 
when one's body is all heated. Expert hikers, understanding 
the disadvantages of drinking cold water on the road, advise 
using a hot beverage regardless of the temperature of the 
day. 

Eat good, wholesome food, and see to it that there is plenty 
of bulk to balance the amount of energy burnt up in prac- 
tice. I have been in a position to observe that the greatest care 
must be taken by an athlete in the matter of food. As a rule 
it is best to omit strong, spicy food from the menu and also 
such dishes as will heat the blood, especially before a game. 
One word of warning, however, concerning meat. One square 
meal of meat is sufficient per day for any man. A great fail- 
ing in athletes is^ that they eat too much of it. Meat, espe- 
cially beef, contains in considerable quantities poisonous sub- 
stances known as "purin bodies," which are difficult to elimi- 
nate from the system, and if taken in excess, cause a consider- 
able overstrain upon the organs of excretion, the kidneys. 
If taken in inordinate quantities, they are retained within the 
body and cause fatigue, rheumatic pains, and later pernicious 
difficulties. These poisonous substances, induced through ■ 
too much meat, are sufficient in themselves to cause discom- 
fort; but when in the strenuously trained athlete the result 
of wear and tear of muscle has also to be got rid of from 
the system, it will be easily understood what excessive work 
is to be performed by. the organs of excretion. Every athlete 
should adopt the policy of leaving the dining table prior to a 



90 



game feeling that he can eat a little more. If he does so, he 
may consider himself fit for competition. 

Avoid late hours and any form of dissipation which may 
use up one's energy. Basketball when played conscientiously 
brings on decided fatigue. A tired man cannot make a 
good player. The game requires every bit of one's stored up 
energy which comes only through clean living, wholesome 
food and rest. The man who can display a greater degree 
of endurance is rated higher in the game of basketball than 
the player who possesses an accurate eye but lacks the other 
quality. 

Many opinions, pro and con, have been voiced on the sub- 
ject of smoking by athletes. One often hears it said that 
"so and so," a great athlete, perhaps the world's champion, 
used tobacco almost incessantly; that before his games or 
races he smoked several cigarettes even in uniform and then 
proceeded tot shatter records. Such stories are common and 
there may perhaps be some truth in them. But the fact of 
the matter is that the average man cannot smoke during a 
playing season and maintain a good "wind," which is a con- 
comitant of endurance, as he can by avoiding tobacco. My 
advice to players, particularly the younger ones, is that they 
do not smoke during the basketball season. 

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS 

1 — When playing, wear heavy woolen socks with footless 
stockings to prevent blistering. 

2 — Don't train to a state of exhaustion. Work in gradu- 
ally even if another week is required. 

3 — Dry your chest, head and ears thoroughly after a 
shower. October generally has changing weather, so it is 
advisable to add an extra undershirt to avoid colds. 

A — Always carry a cake of soap in your bag. After a 
game, don't fail to soap beneath the arms and crotch to pre- 
vent boils. Remember that boils have a tendency to crop 
out wherever hair is present. 

5 — If you wrench an ankle, strap it with adhesive tape and 
keep it on for about a week. Do not remove it when you 
bathe, but dry well and thoroughly. 

6 — Rope-skipping is an excellent substitute for track work 
during the training or off-season. When conditions are not 
ideal for running, you will find the results extremely satis- 
factory. 



91 



7 — Carry an iodine pen in your bag, and apply to scratches 
as soon as the game is over to avoid festering. If you are in 
good condition scratches will heal over night. If they do not, 
keep applying iodine. 

8— If you are compelled to play with a sprained finger, 
strap that finger to the adjoining one with adhesive tape so 
as to lesson the tension of the injured member. 

9 — Keep your nails cut short. 

10 — Some colors used in dying stockings and jerseys are 
poisonous. It is therefore well to wear white shirts and 
stockings next to the skin to prevent blood-poisoning or boils. 
All athletic wearing-apparel should be washed frequently. 

11— Do not wear tight-fitting guards or garters to hold up 
the stockings, as they interfere with the proper circulation 
of the blood and often cause cramps. 

12 — Do not use stimulants of any kind. 

13— If a game is to be played on a slippery floor, applv 
vaseline or kerosene to the suction cups. If your shoes have 
no suction cups, use vaseline on the surface of the rubber 
sole. 



92 



HINTS TO PLAYERS 

WHENEVER a trick play is consummated against you, 
try to remember it for future use. During a game 
your opponent will "pull" something which may 
cause your team to lose two points, a basket, and sometimes 
the game. If you are an aggressive, active player, the trick 
"pulled" on you will make an indelible impression, and you 
will be watchful in future contests to prevent its recurrence. 
I have discussed some of these incidents in the chapter en- 
titled "Questionable Tricks of the Game." 

Disregard remarks made to you or to any other member 
of your team while you are in action. Set your heart and 
mind on the game and not upon the prattle and talk of 
individuals on the side-lines. Nothing is more destructive 
to a man's efficiency than to listen to remarks made by spec- 
tators. Let them do the talking and nagging ; in time they 
will grow tired. The worst thing you can do is to stop to 
converse or argue with them. Some spectators seat them- 
selves directly near the basket and deliberately keep their 
tongues wagging loosely throughout the game, especially 
when a free throw is tried after a foul is called. At times 
their talk proves very effective because the foul shooter, 
being extremely high strung, enters into a war of words. 
Retorts of this kind usually result in loss of control and 
failure to score the point. Opposing players who are quick 
to realize this weakness will start a persistent chatter when- 
ever the garrulous type of player goes to shoot a foul. One 
must practise self-control more in the game of basketball 
than in any other sport. In baseball and football the spec- 
tators are generally at some distance from the players and 
personal remarks are seldom heard; but in basketball the 
spectators are within six feet of the outside of the court. 
Hence, intensive concentration on the game is essential. Play 
the game as checker players do. They do not take their 
eyes or minds off the board. So here, don't take your eyes 
off the court. A noted writer once said, "Gossip is simply 
the outburst of envy and malice — like a Chinese "fire cracker 
— often a fizz and usually dangerous only to him that ex- 
plodes it." Take heed ! 

Successful shooters are those who have confidence in their 
shot. There are some men who will go ahead at a steady 
pace and suddenly fall by the wayside, simply because some 

93 



one told them that they were not shooting up to their stan- 
dard and that they were slipping. True, occasionally a man 
may be in a slump, and yet, the fact that he becomes con- 
scious of his weakness causes him to fall down entirely. 
Take stock of yourself. Ask yourself the following ques- 
tion : "When I shoot, do I give my shots the proper height ? 
Am I hurrying my shot? Am I trying to get the ball away 
too quickly instead of gauging my distance? When I shoot 
is there too much force from one hand instead of equal 
pressure with both? Am I holding the ball too tightly in- 
stead of putting the pressure and thumb evenly on the ball? 
Is my body well balanced ?" Aside from confidence, the suc- 
cess of a shooter depends upon his ability to pass instantly 
from a state of action to repose ! And herein lies the deadly 
effectiveness. Such a man is more to be dreaded than any 
other because of his 'control over every nerve and muscle 
in his movement. It is a rifle action carried to a point of 
perfection. He simply throws the clutch and makes his mind 
control every muscle, nerve, pulse-beat and spark in his body. 

A basketball player should take a nap before each game. 
If the time does not permit, make it your business to keep 
off your feet. If you feel rested, you will play well. There 
may be times when to play a game of basketball is the last 
thing in the world you would care to do. That is your feel- 
ing before the game. But once you get started, and com- 
mence to perspire, and your muscles become toned, you for- 
get about things and unconsciously pass up any thought about 
your feelings. Whenever I travelled away from home to 
play or if I accompanied the college basketball team on a 
trip, I always arranged to arrive at the place where we were 
scheduled to play an hour or two before game time in order 
to allow time for a short nap. I have observed closely the 
playing of the men on the college team on the days they 
took a nap before playing and on days when they were not 
able to lie down for a while previous to their game. The dif- 
ference in their playing was noticeable. In my personal 
experience, I find that I can play a more aggressive game if 
I take a nap before playing time, than when going without it. 

Play hard and don't look for trouble. Basketball is a 
game where there is a great deal of personal contact, and 
where self-control is a very important factor. The player 
who is very sensitive to fouls committed by his opponent, 
such as hacking, pushing, or charging, is the one who will 
crumble in a pinch. Learn to take punishment without seek- 
ing vengeance. I recall a man with whom I played a great deal 
during the past three years. This man was an unusually good 



94 



basketball player and remarkably fast on his feet. I used 
to see his opponent's slug and trip him at times in an effort 
to stop him from scoring, but not once do I recall that this 
man retaliated. He realized that the tripper, the slugger, 
and the unfair player of any sort, is usually despised by his 
own team-mates to whose advantage his tactics might nat- 
urally redound. If the coach and captain are the right kind, 
they will force an unfair player to change his tactics or leave 
the team. H. L. Smith writes of an athletic failure and says, 
"There used to be a player on a certain football team who 
was as quick as lightning, a lover of the game, and a great 
ground gainer. But let it happen that this player was 
thrown hard at the start of the game or accidentally hit in 
any way, he would begin to fight. Week after week, this 
player, who might have proved a tower of strength to his 
college team, was ruled out of the game for open fighting. 
He absolutely lacked self-control at critical moments and 
was allowed to play only at the start of each game that he 
might make a few yards before he lost his head." Learn to 
master yourself and remember that a man without self-con- 
trol is like a barrel without hoops ; it soo.n tumbles to pieces ! 

Play the game for the game's sake and beware of gamblers 
and their influences. I cite here a personal incident in which 
I was involved while playing in Greenville, N. J. A group 
of men used to get together every Saturday evening when 
games were scheduled and form a "pool" for betting on the 
members of the two teams. Each one of the spectators in 
the pool would receive a number corresponding to that of 
one of the players. The man whose number was highest 
scorer in the game won the pool. It was most disheartening 
to me to observe "sport gamblers" tamper with some of the 
players and try to bribe them. One night I distinctly heard 
one of them call out to me, "Say, Nat, I picked you tonight, 
old boy. Work hard !" My pride was hurt. I recall dis- 
tinctly not having scored a single point all through that 
game. I played a strong game on the defense and my pass- 
ing was good, but my shooting was purposely off color. Pass, 
pass, that's what I did all through the game, but nary a 
shot did I take for the basket. From that night on, I never 
heard any of these men beckon to me for any help. It was 
Herbert Kaufman, in the Cosmopolitan, who said, "The man 
who isn't straight puts a terrific handicap upon himself. He 
must play tug-of-war single-handed against all society." 

Don't ever underestimate the strength of another team. 
Confidence is a mighty, good thing, but overconfidence will 
bring on many an unexpected defeat. I have seen many 

95 



supposedly weak teams beat strong combinations. In order 
to win games, you have to earn the victories through hard 
work. The fact that you are highly praised for the wonder- 
ful records you have made in past performances does not 
mean that your future games are to be won with little effort. 
It is' just in games of this kind, where the men on the good 
team lead all through the first half and where each man 
figures on drawing away from the opposing team with ease 
in the second half, that upsets occur. I have never seen it 
to fail that men who have figured that way have met with sad 
disappointment. "All men are alike ! All teams are good ! 
None are weak!" That should be the feeling of every man 
on the team. 

A player who is conscious of his weakness will never play 
up to true form in competition. Players often worry too 
much about the visiting team. As a matter of fact' they 
are actually beaten before the g*ame starts. Let the other 
fellow worry about you. That's the slogan to follow ! Some 
teams worry so much about the shooting ability of certain 
players on the visiting team, that during the course of the 
game every man on the team concentrates on the "star," 
thus breaking up their own regular style of play. Play your 
game as you know best, and play it hard. Disregard any 
comments that are made in the newspapers or verbal state- 
ments passed on from interested fans about the strength of 
the opposing team. You may not believe it, but the other 
team is also worrying about you. 

Don't carry yourself aloof from the rest of the members 
of your team because you are superior to them at the game. 
Mix well with your men at all times. It will not only help 
towards solidifying your friendship with them but it will 
help team-work. There may be certain men on your team 
with whom you do not care to associate; yet, you must al- 
ways remember that you have to receive unselfish coopera- 
tion from every man on the team in order to win games 
consistently. Make up your mind to know better that one 
man whom you dislike. Help him if you can. Since you 
have to live and play together with that man during the 
course of the season you may as well make the best of it. 
To grow moody and say unpleasant things to the other men 
on the team about this man or that man, will certainly not 
help your standing in the eyes of your team-mates. 

The player who knows how to conserve his energy at the 
proper time instead of burning it up throughout the game 
will not only play a better game but will last for many years 
as a strong player. Basketball is a game of endurance. 



96 



Judicious team-work and conservation of movements will 
help you survive. Some players put every ounce of energy 
into their game and at the final whistle they are totally ex- 
hausted. I have observed players on colle^e'basketball teams 
retire to the locker room after games in a deathly state of 
latigue. Some of them actually fainted. If the game is 
close, it may be necessary for you to plug away at a good 
pace. However, if your team is well in the lead, there is 
no reason why you should not let up for awhile— I do not 
mean loaf— to regain your wind. If vou can, get your team- 
mates to work so that when one man does the cutting-in 
for the basket, the rest of the men can nurse their wind 
along, and after he gets back, some one else can work the 
ball up the court. You have to learn to conserve your energy, 
so that you can call upon your reserve at opportune moments 
regardless how hard you have been playing and how 
fast you have been running. There are men who keep cross- 
ing from side to side, passing the ball to one another in 
rapid-nre motion, all of which is done in the backfield, and 
when they get in around the foul line, they haven't enough 
strength left to outsprint their opponent to the basket. 
Bring the ball up the court at a fairly good pace ; but do not 
indulge m unnecessary dodging, feinting and sprinting from 
side to side m the backfield. Wait until you are within rea- 
sonable distance of your basket, and then let out with great 
speed. You will then find that you will have enough reserve 
m you to get away from your opponent and also enough 
endurance to come back on the defense in case the other 
team gets possession of the ball. 

As a player you ought never to regard yourself inferior 
to any member of your team or to any man on the opposing 
team. Once you get into that state of mind where you con- 
sider the other man your superior you certainly are not going 
to play your best game. Make up your mind from the be- 
ginning that you are the equal if not the superior of any 
other player on the court. I recall when I first broke into 
the professional game that I was called upon to play guard 
against one of the greatest forwards in the East, a man who 
had all the qualifications for the position of forward. He 
was an exceptionally fast runner, could cut for the basket 
with remarkable speed, was a dead shot at the basket, a 
versatile floor man, and in addition to it all, had ten years 
of experience in fast company. There was I, lad of nine- 
teen, with but one month of professional experience, playing 
against a man whom I regarded as far superior to myself. 
That thought alone affected my playing ability, and I am 



97 



obliged to admit that I did not play up to my standard in 
that game. That taught me a lesson. I made up my mind 
after that game that in the future, whenever I played against 
an opponent, no matter if he was heralded as the greatest 
player from coast to coast, I would consider myself no less 
than his equal. I do not worry about any man in basketball 
today. I conquered fear by auto-suggestion considering my- 
self on a par with the best men in the game. 

A good player should always seek pointers for the pur- 
pose of perfecting his game. Don't be satisfied with yourself. 
In basketball, as in baseball, there are men who play the 
game for many years and never seem to make any progress. 
There are players who are "stars" on their high school team 
and who fail to make their college team. There are men 
who play baseball in the minor leagues but fail to make the 
big leagues. They may lack experience ; they may not have 
the mentality ; they may not have the physique. Or I might 
attribute their failure to the fact that these men do not seek 
"pointers". They are satisfied. Several years back, when I 
played with the Bridgeport team of the Connecticut League, 
my attention was first called to* the value of talking matters 
over after a game. On the way back to the city after my 
first game with Bridgeport, the entire team got together and 
talked about the game. We discussed the faults disclosed 
in the game that night, and in our future games we tried to 
correct them. We also talked about various good moves, 
whether they were about plays from the tap-off, or the 
manner in which some one player was guarded, or the gen- 
eralship of the opposing captain. I have yet to meet a more 
interested or more attentive group. Each man was eager 
to improve his game and made a mental note of everything 
that was discussed. The rapid strides that some of these 
players have made during the past five years leads me to 
believe firmly that a player who is constantly seeking "point- 
ers" is bound to improve his game. The high school star and 
the star of the bush leagues are good men for their respective 
divisions, but they go no further unless they seek to develop. 

Play the game for all that it is worth and not to satisfy 
certain alumni, gamblers, backers, and rooters. Play clean 
and hard and in true sportsmanlike fashion. Some fans are 
interested in the winning of games regardless whether 
they are won fairly or unfairly. It does not concern them 
who the players are that are representing the team, or who 
the men are that are 1 making a sacrifice in an effort to bring 
on the best possible team-work. As long as the team wins, 



98 



oride [n f ; - !t ls f natural for c °Hege alumni to take 
Mater tL ™ ° f - e P«senting their Alma 

f "; ^ey must not, however, in their yearning 
for victory sacrifice principle. When they do, we often hea? 
of scandal m college institutions where prominent members 

m J m M ' H , aVe financed athIetes through college and 
made possible the so-called "tramp-athlete." They have a 

general " 5 *** °" C ° Uege com P e tition ^nd on^port in 
Be a sportsman at all times, and if a decision is given 
against you, don't growl at the officials. If you lose to a 

do„ f t r mar' P 0r ' 6Ve \ by " ba . d M" to a « inferior team 
dont make excuses. It won't improve your case or alter 

sSrtsman. ^ !ead ° therS t0 dass >' ou as a P°" 

minds of those who are interested in athletics. Generally 

could ZTl S u U T the 15 - game WeU; the y have to or they 
could not hold down their jobs. Often they know more 

of 1 If me t th ? n the P ' a r rS themselves do. But man 
of the daily articles on college athletics and accounts of 

\ T ^"T 1 n0t by news Paper reporters but by col- 
lege students who are paid at space rates. More often than 
not they know so little about the game that their statements 
are not authoritative. There are times when thev will boost 
some, undeserving player or under-rate the /ability of a 
star Flayers who pay attention to such write-ups are very 
T^"-^ the effi ciency of their team-play. DON'T LET 
A NEWSPAPER ACCOUNT OF A GAME AFFECT 
YOUR PLAYING! Regardless what newspaper ac 
in°m Sa f y * y T ^dividual ability, play always for the 
interest of the entire team. The following quotation taken 
from a recent article from Cullen Cain, the well-known sport 
writer of the Philadelphia Public Ledger, sums up the ques- 
tion admirably: "How often, oh, how often, do we 'kid' 
ourselves along with the fond thoughts and vain pride of 
some extra flash we unleashed in our behalf, believing al- 
ways that the steady, regular, conscientious, whole-hearted 
loyal, all-that-is-m-us work we do, along with' others is 
unnoticed and unsung. We are all wrong. No real work 
for the good of all ever failed of a fine reward. Even if 
the powers that be missed it, and they miss but little in their 
Men glances for real and constant effort, why, deep in our 
hearts cometh the reward in the form of that little glow that 
warms and makes a restless and weary heart happy at the 
end of the day. 



99 



GREAT PLAYERS AND REASONS FOR 
THEIR GREATNESS 

MY AIM in this chapter is not so much to pick an "all- 
star" team as to point out to my readers the indi- 
vidual characteristics that have brought fame to some 
men as basketball players. These men have all had profes- 
sional careers and have also made a thorough study, of the 
game. Although there are many other men who are worthy 
of being discussed in this connection, I feel that the men 
treated below stand out as the greatest basketball players 
during the fifteen years that I have been with the game. 

Every sport possesses thousands of players whose ability 
entitles them to special attention. Some men excel in speed, 
others in endurance, and others in brain power. Some even 
attain that state of perfection where they possess almost all 
of these characteristics which entitle them to the rank of 
a star. Yet, so few of them can be selected who over a 
period of ten to fifteen years may be regarded as having 
so far outdistanced the rest of the field as to be placed in 
a class by themselves. What qualities do these men have 
that have brought to themselves such stellar honors ? What 
signal athletic abilities have characterized the style of their 
game which young men of today can profitably emulate? 
The purpose of this chapter is to point out these very factors 
so that others may benefit thereby. 

My first selection is that of Ed Wachter who is unques- 
tionably the greatest center man that ever wore a basketball 
uniform. He has had the most exceptional basketball career 
that I know of. During the twenty- four years in which he 
played active ball, he was a member of more championship 
basketball outfits than any other player since the game has 
come into existence. He played on the "E" Company team 
of Schenectady when it won the World's Championship at 
Kansas City in 1905 by defeating the Blue Diamonds of that 
section. He was with the famous Troy team which won 
the championship of the old New York State and Hudson 
River Leagues, which played Reading for the World's Cham- 
pionship in 1911, and later made its famous trip to the Pacific 
Coast winning thirty-seven consecutive games. He also 
played with the Pitts field Bike Club when it won a champion- 
ship, with the Mechanicsville team when it won the cham- 

100 



pionship of the Northern New York League, with the 
McKeesport five when it won the championship of the Cen- 
tral Pennsylvania League, with Albany when it won the 
New York League Championship, and with Cohces when 
it also won the Championship of the New York State League. 
Since taking up the game of basketball, Wachter has par- 
ticipated m more than 1800 contests, and has been the lead- 
ing scoring center in every league in which he played. In 
a great many instances he was the greatest individual point- 
getter. 

As a basketball coach also he has met with marked success, 
having been in charge of the squads at the Rensselaer Poly- 
technic Institute, 1915-16, Williams College 1916-1920 Har- 
vard 1920-22. 



ED WACHTER. 

Wachter was always a very aggressive player and a most 
versatile floor man. He had an inexhaustible supply of energy 
and endurance, being able to play incessantly and inde- 
fatigably both halves without any time-outs. His style of 



101 



play was such that he was almost too slippery to handle and 
exceedingly difficult to block. He was especially successful 
in spectacular long shots as well as at free throws from the 
foul line. Well do I recall this man coming down the floor 
at top speed, receiving a pass from one of his mates, sud- 
denly whirling his body to the left or right and calmly raising 
the ball to the proper height for its course through the net, 
and then sprawl headlong into the corner of the court. As 
a center man he was rather short in comparison with other 
men who play that position. He stood about 5.11 in his 
stocking feet, but he was an excellent jumper, well able to 
leap at the proper time and get away for a fast break directly 
after the tap. He was a heady player and always tried 
to figure out what his opponents were going to do while 
he was on the defense. His greatest asset on the offense 
was his speed and his daring plunges for the basket in fol- 
lowing up a shot taken by one of his mates. During the 
halves, he always led the discussions in the dressing room, 
pointing out faults to his men, always tactful in his criticism. 
He was a leader who possessed a magnetic personality and 
together with his unusual ability he has gained for himself 
a reputation in basketball circles as the greatest basketball 
player in the game. As for his character, The Troy Record 
said, "Personally, Wachter is one of the most likeable of 
men. He has a host of friends who view with interest his 
advancement. He bears a high reputation here because of his 
excellent character and habits and few citizens are so pop- 
ular. He is delightfully companionable, a man of high ideals, 
always a gentleman." 

Summarizing Wachter's fame as a basketball player, one 
should note the following things : he never passed the ball 
away foolishly ; his passes were short and snappy ; he was 
aggressive and played the game for all that it was worth; 
he followed up the ball whenever one of his mates took a 
shot for the basket, if he was near enough. When his side 
got hold of the ball, he generally helped work the ball up 
the field rapidly and prevented his opponents from getting 
set. He was an excellent floor man and a wonderful leader 
of men. He had all the confidence a leader should have 
and instilled it in his men. His name will live forever in 
the hall of fame of basketball. 

Prominent among the forwards are three men who are- 
acknowledged to be the fastest and cleverest men who have 
ever played this position. First of these is the late Jack 
Inglis, a resident of Troy, New York, who played with 



102 



Wachter on the Troy team of the New York State Basket- 
ball League, which held the championship of the world for 
three years. He was a star football player on the Lansing- 
burgh High School team and played on the Rensselaer Poly- 
technic Institute eleven during the years he was at that col- 
lege. He coached the football team at Colgate . University 
in 1915 and in 1916 coached the R. P. I. football and basket 
teams. The basketball fans were shocked to hear of the 




jack ingus. 



death during the influenza epidemic on October 6, 1918, of 
this noted basketball player. The following day, October 7, 
the Scranton Paper published a brief sketch of his career. 
It read as follows : "In the death of Jack Inglis, basketball 
loses one of its greatest stars. For years he ranked as 
one of its real headliners, and in this section was generally 
conceded to be the best drawing card ever seen in action 
on the basketball floors. Inglis gained his basketball start 
with the schools around Troy, N. Y., and later entered the 



103 



New York State League starring in that circuit when it 
was recognized as one of the leading basketball circuits in 
the country. When the New York State Circuit disbanded, 
Inglis accompanied Andy Suils to Carbondale, where he 
starred for the Pioneers in two campaigns. He played for- 
ward on the team that brought the pennant to Carbondale 
two years ago. In that campaign Inglis ranked as the leading 
scorer in the state league, topping the circuit in throwing 
field goals by a substantial margin." 

Inglis justified all claims to stardom and proved to be one 
of the best dribblers that the game has ever developed, lie 
handled the ball with such dexterity and skill that it was a 
revelation to his opponents as well as to spectators to see 
him move down the court. Very few men in the game were 
able to hold him. He was so fast that he was able to slip 
away from his pursuers like the. morning mist, and a basket 
was sure to follow for his team. Like a streak of blue 
lightning, he used to race down the court with the most de- 
ceptive dodging that was ever seen on any court. 

Inglis had a mild temperament. He was always easy-going, 
cheerful, congenial, and his mind was always at ease. This 
was quite noticeable even on the court, for in the heat of the 
game he was calm and determined and always played up to 
true form. ^ To my mind, Inglis made more spectacular shots 
with a varied degree of consistancy, than any other player 
will ever be able to duplicate. What pleasant memories he 
brings back to my mind ! How I enjoyed seeing this rugged 
and fearless player dash down the court, suddenly twist his 
trunk to receive a pass from one of his mates, and with body 
off the ground cling to the ball, stretch his right arm upward, 
and calmly shoot the ball through the net ! He was a heady 
player and a wonderful team man. He never hesitated to 
throw the ball back to one of his mates when he had rushed 
down the court and received a poor pass, rather than shoot 
from a difficult angle and lose possession of the ball. 

In conclusion we must note that Inglis was ranked in the 
premier category because he was a master of dribbling, an 
excellent shooter, a wonderful team man, steady, aggressive, 
sure and fast of foot, and had a well regulated mind. 

The next man of note playing the forward position is 
John Beckman who has often proved that he is as fast a 
basketball player as has ever worn regalia in the Eastern 
League. His first connection was with the Christ Church 
team of New York in the inter-settlement leagues. Shortly 
after he joined the St. Gabriel Five, at that time the best 



104 



middleweight team in greater New York. It was at this 
time that Beckman really branched out as a first class for- 
ward, a position in which he is really unequalled. He then 
entered the Hudson River League, representing Kingston, 
and was the main factor in their winning the championship. 
A year later, he was transferred to Paterson, New Jer- 
sey, where he played for a while until he moved on to Phila- 
delphia and represented the De Neri Club in the Eastern 
League. He later joined the Nanticoke team in the Penn State 
League and starred with them for two years. Last season, 




JOHNNY BECKMAN. 



he lead the Penn State League in scoring arid starred as 
forward on the Original Celtics. He was instrumental in 
bringing the championship to the Celtics who took first 
place in the Eastern League during the season of 1921-22. 

Beckman's greatest asset is his speed and his ability to shoot 
baskets from mid-floor. He can always be depended upon 



105 



to get the ball down the court no matter how many opponents 
are trying to block him or head him off. He is like a 
juggernaut, impossible to stop unless by foul means. His 
long strides make for speed and serve to carry him success- 
fully out of many tight places. He, too, is a master of drib- 
bling, throwing the ball rather low and quite some distance 
ahead of him. For the past five years, Beckman has led 
the Penn State and Eastern Leagues in scoring. Spectators 
have been amazed at his exhibitions at times when his team 
has been facing defeat. To see this lion-hearted, fearless, 
and aggressive player go forward and pluck the game from 
the fire, has not been an unusual sight to many thousands 
who have watched Beckman in action. There have been 
many occasions on which I have played in games with this 
player with the score uncomfortably close and little time to 
go. .A foul would be called and the result often hinged on 
the foul toss. Many of the fans would cheer and others 
would make efforts to disconcert the shooter. The average 
player being in so critical a position as that would be nerv- 
ous, anxious and distracted. But Beckman would stand 
at the foul line with his eye on the basket, cool and self- 
possessed, would throw his foul as though he were in a 
practice game. He has the confidence and his mind is on 
the game. Intense concentration has brought deserved 
honors to this player. 

I was always curious to peep in behind his cranium 
plates just to see what kind of machinery was there. I 
know about his outward limbs and flourishes, but no player 
can tell about his spark and his wiring until he has been 
tested by tension amid oppositions and cheers. Such is 
Beckman who knows how to stand the test. 

Another outstanding feature about Beckman is his ability 
to take punishment in action. He does not believe in re- 
taliating, knowing that if he does, he is taking his mind off 
his game. He can be rough and he can show fight, but 
that is not his policy. "Keep your mind on the game," he 
has told his men incessantly. Finally, he knows how 10 'con- 
serve his energy. When the score is close, he will work 
hard in an effort to overcome his opponents, but when his 
team has a comfortable lead, he will let up considerably. 
This strategy enables him to pull himself together, so that 
when the time comes for him to let-out, he can call on his 
stored-up energy. 

In a consideration of what this player has accomplished, we 
should observe carefully those qualities that have brought 



106 



him honors. They are his ability to conserve his energy 
for use at the proper time, his remarkable speed, his ag- 
gressiveness, his excellent shooting ability from distance and 
from the short line, and his equanimity of mind in action. 

The third tcrward to be discussed is Barucv Sedran, who 
to my mind is the brainiest basketball player with whom I 
have ever come in contact. Sedran's career as a basketball 
player commenced at the Universitv Settlement of New 
York where he played for a number of years while still 
a mere boy. He then entered Townsend Harris 'High 
School and played on their championship team for three 




BARNEY SEDRAN. 

years. Soon after graduation he enrolled as a student at the 
College of the City of New York where he played on the 
Varsity team for two consecutive years. Later the team 
representing the University Settlement branched off for 
themselves and went out on the road, playing exhibition 
games against strong professional teams. It was during this 
trip that he was signed up to play with the Newburgh team 
in the Hudson River League, where he was soon recognized 
as a sensational forward. He helped considerably in bring- 
ing the championship to Newburgh that year. The fol- 



107 



lowing year, 1916, he contracted with the Utica Team of the 
New York State League, and proceeded to win individual 
honors as high point scorer in the league, besides aiding in 
winning the championship. Two years later, he represented 
Jasper m the Eastern League, and after a thrilling set of 
games m their post-season series with Greystock, Jasper was 
barely nosed out by their opponents for the championship. 
During the season of 1920, he represented Albany in the New 
York State League and also played with Easthampton in the 
Carpet League" of Massachusetts. Albany won the cham- 
pionship for two consecutive years and Sedran led the 
league by a wide margin in point scoring each time. 

AH through his career Sedran has played a brilliant brand 
oi basketball. His floor work is phenominal. His shooting 
under all difficulties has been sensational. In my opinion 
he is the greatest ma'n that has ever been developed for ad- 
vancing the ball down the court. No matter how well he 
is covered by his opponents, he always manages to find a 
way of evading them. He picks his openings unusually 
well and uses each one to the best advantage. Seldom does 
he get m close to his opponent but tactfully manoeuvers 
about the players until the time comes for him to cut for the 
basket. He is very shifty and as a result is able to mislead 
many a player. He is most feared at a set shot. It is an 
almost certain score any time that Sedran stands alone off 
to the side, irrespective of the angle, with the ball in his 
possession. It is most interesting to observe this player in 
action and see how skillfully he handles the ball. He will 
sway his arms from side to side and seldom permit his 
opponents to strike the ball away from him. One would 
think that he would be handicapped because of his physical 
disadvantages, being short in stature and light in weight but 
his keen mmd overcomes all difficulties. As the years move 
on, thousands of spectators who have seen the "rabbit," as he 
is called, in action will join with me in declaring him the 
smartest player that has ever played basketball. 

Summing up, we find this player's strong points are his 
ability to mislead his opponents on the offense, his dexterity 
m handling the ball, his success as a "feeder" of his team- 
mates, his marvelous shooting, his skill on both of- 
fense and defense. He always manages to get back on the 
defense in time to cover, should his team lose possession of 
the ball on the offense. Lastly, his evenness of temper in all 
matches enables him to function well for the benefit of his 
team. 



108 



In the guard 'position^, Marty Friedman and Andy Suils 
are the two men I propose to discuss. Marty Friedman I 
openly declare to be the greatest guard of all time. He and 
Barney Sedran, who have been inseparable friends since 
early childhood, have played on the same teams for the past 
twelve years and it has been said they practically compose 
a team in themselves. 

Friedman's phenomenal playing for the past ten years has 
earned for him the reputation of being unquestionably 
the greatest guard in the game. He is cool and collected 
while in action. He studies his own men as well as his 





MARTY FRIEDMAN. 



opponents all the time. He is a team man all the way through, 
and sacrifices all for the team. For five consecutive years 
Barney Sedran led the various leagues in which he played, 
and followers of basketball attribute his success to Fried- 
man's wonderful feeding and blocking. Friedman's ability 
to pick out noticeable weaknesses in his opponents and to 
direct his attack in that direction has brought many a victory 
to his team. His strategy has been most effective. How- 
ever, we must not overlook Friedman's ability to shoot. 
Though he plays a defensive position, he is the most 
dangerous man to leave unguarded. He is a dead set shot 



109 



from the distance. He, also, is very clever in working his 
way in and around the basket with his men by means of 
short, snappy passes. When the opportunity presents itself 
he dribbles m fast and takes the shot. He is a most de- 
pendable backfield man and an exceptionally proficient 
shooter. Of all his qualities, I personally attribute Fried- 
man's success to his clean living. He fully realizes the value 
or rest to an athlete and generally makes it his duty to 
get to bed early. He is very careful in his choice of foods 
and never drinks or smokes. From the minute the whistle 
blows to the end of the game, he is always on the go. He 
has an abundance of energy, all of which is due to intelligent 
training. 

Hence we find that it is worth noting the traits that have 
brought on this man's success. His calm temperament, his 
sacrifices for the benefit of his team, his ability to look for 
weak spots and to take advantage of them, his strategy, his 
being an excellent shot, his dependability at picking men off 
who come through uncovered, his habit of planning the at- 
tack before the game and in between the halves, make Fried- 
man a good, smart player. 

In Andy Suils, basketball fans have found a most sterling 
type of guard. No man has ever sacrificed more individual 
honors, applause, or newspaper praise for the benefit of his 
team than has Suils. "Silent Andy" is what the fans call him. 
The Scranton paper of November 27, 1919, gave the fol- 
lowing account of his career: "Andv Suils, manager and 
guard of the Carbondale basketball team is a firm believer in 
the old adage 'Silence is Golden.' In fact, there are some 
Carbondale fans who believe Andy is the author of the 
phrase. However, during the stress of the battle, Andy 
was not very silent; it was after the battle was over that 
Andy held counsel with himself, and himself alone. His 
familiar, 'make 'em short' and 'don't lose that ball,' were a 
part of the games at the armory. He started his career 
many moons ago with the famous old Twenty-third Street 
Y.M.C.A. team of New York City. Later he played with 
the St. Peter's Five of the same city. After a splendid sea- 
son with them, he joined the Union Hill team of New Jer- 
sey. At the end of two seasons with Union Hill, he con- 
tracted with the South Side Pittsburgh Club of the Central 
League. The South Side team at that time was one of 
the best teams in the United States. Two years later he bid 
adieu to his mates at Pittsburgh and traveled to Troy where 
he took advantage of an attractive offer from Lew Wachter, 



110 



who was manager of the never-to-be-forgotten Troy Team 
of the New York State League. Suils is undoubtedly one 
of the best guards ever developed in basketball, barring none. 
He is a basketball player that lives cleanly and carefully. 
He is playing as good a brand of ball today if not better 
than he did five years ago." 

If unselfishness in a game were round dollars, Andy Suils 
would be a multi-millionaire over and over again. Even if 
he does manage to make his way under the enemy's basket, 



■ 




ANDY SUILS. 

he will deliberately pass the ball to a brother player rather 
than try himself. For many years he led the Penn State 
League as well as the New York State League 
in assists. In his career he has made three times 
as many assists as any other player in the circuit. After 
a game, whether his team won or lost, he has always been the 
same quiet Andy, ready and willing to point out the weak 



ill 



and strong points of the opposition and of his own team. 
He has fitted in with his team-mates like a hand in a glove. 
Jack Inglis was made great primarily because of Suils' feed- 
ing in the backfield. 

There were times when Suils' playing was criticized by 
basketball fans and players for his failure to do things on 
the offense. "Wonderful defensive man but poor on the 
offense", would be some of the comments. It is my firm 
belief that every basketball team should have a player like 
Suils, one who will stay back to do the feeding, and be 
dependable at all times. The fault with the average player 
today is that he wants to score, and if he doesn't, his friends 
may think that he is slipping. They do not fully realize the 
advantage of team-play, and that cooperation and individual 
sacrifice are the basic factors toward the success of any 
team. Just think df Suils in this connection. Suils was 
conscientious and earnest about his work. If his team was 
in the lead, he disliked seeing his men loaf and take things 
for granted. He realized the possibilities of his opponents' 
coming through at the last moment. He was the one who 
originated the expression, "Get off that dime or I'll get you 
a rocking chair." Players who are inclined to loaf thor- 
oughly understand the meaning of the phrase. 



GENERAL HINTS TO COACHES 



O COACH a basketball team successfully a coach must 



knowledge of the game, and must be familiar with 
coaching methods. To direct a team the coach must have the 
ability to inspire the players with the spirit of team work, 
with grit, and the will to win fairly. He must maintain the 
morale of the players on a high level so that they will prac- 
tise faithfully and train diligently. A playing knowledge of 
the game, a formidable defense and offense, and smooth team 
work can be secured only by months of regular practice, 
intelligently conducted. 

Not a little of the success of any basketball team depends 
upon the ability of the coach to impart his knowledge of the 
fine points of the game to the players under him. Prac- 
tically every man who is chosen to coach a team has been a 
star player at one time or another, and if his success as a 
coach were to be measured by his playing ability there would 
be little doubt as to his developing strong teams. Compara- 
tively few men are able to impart the knowledge which 
they have gained through practical experience. Then, there 
are many who, though possessing that ability, attain only 
mediocre results because of their improper handling of men. 
The coach who possesses a combination of all three, practi- 
cal playing experience, ability to impart knowledge properly, 
and ability to handle men, will be rewarded with greater 
success than one lacking any of these requirements. 

The question naturally arises, what is the proper method 
of imparting knowledge to players and what is the proper way 
of handling men? I suppose 1 a gross of methods may be 
advanced. During the course of this chapter various sug- 
gestions both as to teaching methods and the handling of men 
are offered which I have found to be efficient in the conduct 
of practice sessions and of games. 

When your candidates are called out for the squad, try 
to arrange to have all the men dress together in a certain 
part of the dressing room so that they can talk basketball 
before and after games. 

Regardless how large your squad may be, try to ar- 
range to have a short scrimmage for all who are able to play. 
Hustle players through and allow no loafing or fooling. 




personality, must have a thorough 



113 



After you have weeded down the squad and you have two 
and three teams scrimmaging against each other several 
times a week, take notes of the faults of the individual players 
during the scrimmage. Don't interrupt the players during 
practice to point out their faults. Let them play a full twenty 
minutes so that they will be able to regulate their game 
according to half-time. When you have their faults jotted 
down, have the manager typewrite them on a sheet of paper 
and hand copies of them to the players and yourself. By 
doing this, a player will remember his faults and try to 
correct them. 

You can set aside one day each week for the men to play 
through continuously without being stopped. Have the regu- 
lars play against the scrub team A for the first half and team 
B for the second half. On the other days of practice, you 
can stop your men from time to time during the scrimmage 
and correct their faults. Speak loudly enough so that it will 
not be necessary for you to repeat the same thing to another 
man five minutes later. Then again, the men sitting on the 
side lines can gain a great deal through observation. Do not 
permit your scrubs to shoot around at another part of the 
gymnasium during practice. If a man is trying for the posi- 
tion of forward, he should watch the style and manner of 
one of the forwards on the first team. The first string 
forward has certain qualities which the scrub has not, and 
in addition he can point out the bad faults of the regulars 
and so, through observation, help to perfect his game. Make 
comparisons. 

I have found it of great advantage to use a small crew 
megaphone during scrimmages. Have one of the assistant 
managers throw the ball up at center and at held-balls. You 
can station yourself somewhere along the outsides, and in- 
stead of blowing your whistle to stop the play, call out from 
time to time and instill pep. If you wish you can have the 
men compete against each other without bringing the ball 
back to center. The team that makes the basket runs back 
on the defense; the opponents take possession of the ball 
under the basket and then try to work it up the court to 
their own basket. In this way you will keep the ball in play 
all the time, and you will find that it will furnish an excellent 
workout for your men. 

Before your regular scrimmage work commences, throw 
out three or four balls to a group of fifteen men shooting at 
the same basket. It is so common to see a large group of 
men shooting at a basket with but one ball. One man takes 



114 



a shot, and later he returns the ball to a man cutting-in; he 
probably has to wait five minutes before getting another try 
for the basket. Keep your men busy by having them shoot 
before scrimmage. It is also advisable to have two foul 
shooters go off to one part of the court and practice fouls 
while the rest of the squad is shooting. *Too many coaches 
depend upon one foul shooter to do all the shooting. An 
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As long as 
there are possibilities that a man will be put out of the game 
for committing four personal fouls, why not be prepared in 
case your regular foul shooter is expelled from the game? 
If you haven't another consistent foul shooter on the squad, 
develop one man. Have that man always leave the shooting 

10 x xS 

8X X3 
7X X2 

6\ X/ 




Q 

7777777777777777777777777, 

WARMING-UP FORMATION A. 

practice and go off to the side of the' court to practise foul 
shooting with the regular man. If he puts enough time on it, 
he will unquestionably improve his snooting. 

There are various formations used during the warm-up 
period which coaches can work advantageously. Below are 
several which I have used with the boys at City College for 
the past four years. 

As 1 cuts in for the basket he receives a pass, from 6 who 
follows right in to the basket to take the ball off the back- 
board ; 1 swings over to the right side of the court directly 
in back of 10 while 6 passes the ball to 2 and moves on to the 
left side of the court directly in back of. 5 ; both sides change 
with the movement of the play and continue that until they 
have had enough. 

115 



"B" is an excellent formation for use in getting men 
to pass the ball to one another without fumbling. Here 
1 starts off on a dribble and when he is half way toward the 
opposite line, slips the ball to the stomach of 6; 6 turns 
sharply and repeats the same with 2; 2 repeats by slipping 
the ball to the pit^of the stomach of 7, etc. Finally, when 
you come to the tail-end, 1 receives the ball from 5 and 
crosses over to his side. That completes the formation. 
Both teams then change sides. 10 should start the formation 
over again by dribbling towards 5. 




X4 
X6 



WARMING-UP FORMATION C. 
116 



"C" is a mighty good formation to use in training men 
to feint their opponents away and receive a pass while 
they are on a dead run for the basket. The men are all lined 
up directly in back of one another in the center of the court 
while the ball is in the feeder's hands. 1 starts down the 
floor on a fast run, feints right and goes left, and continues 
on to the basket where he receives a pass from the feeder 
and shoots. 15 and 16 are two assistants who are helping 
out in the play. 15 stands still to enable the men to practice 
feinting, and 16 returns to the ball to the feeder after the 
men take their shots at the basket. 1 returns in back of the 
last man after he has, taken his shot by crossing over to the 
side of the court and not interfering in the play. 

"D" is another good formation to be used in teaching 
men on the squad how to catch a ball properly and pass 
it accurately to a mate who is cutting for the basket. The 
feeder passes the ball to 6 who starts for the basket ; 6 im- 
mediately makes a pass to 1 who makes for the basket a 
second after 6 does ; 6 takes the ball off the basket and throws 
it to 2 ; 6 swings over to the other side of the court and falls 
in back of 5 while 1 does the same and drops in back of 10. 
2 this time passes the ball to 7 and follows it to take the ball 
off the backboard, etc., etc. 




WARMING-UP FORMATION D. 

"E" is a criss-cross play in which the men successively run 
toward the ball and pass accurately to one another without 
fumbling. Here 1 begins with a dribble and slips the ball 



117 




CRISS-CROSS FORMATION F. 



into the hands of 2 and continues on directly in back of him; 
2 passes the ball to 3 and runs in back of 3 ; 3 continues 
the movement by passing the ball to 1 again. Have the 
players go up and down the floor two or three times and 
then let others try it. 

"F" illustrates a formation which may be used profitably 
in developing good passing. It portrays an odd number 
of men in a circle formation. The ball is passed to 

/ 




CIRCLE FORMATION FOR PASSING F. 



118 



alternate men, from 1 to 3, then 3 to 5, and so on from 11 
to 2 so that the even-numbered men receive the ball on the 
next rotation. This is an excellent formation for developing 
accurate passing. Players can start with a one-hand pass ; 
then change to a two-hand pass, an underhand pass with 
both hands, a chest pass, an overhead pass, and later vary 
with a bounce pass. They can then change the direction 
from right to left. By keeping two balls in motion at the 
same time there will be- plenty of action and few men will 
be kept waiting for a pass. Great stress should be laid on 
getting the ball away quickly, emphasizing accuracy as the 
prime factor. 

If finances permit, arrange to have two shirts, differently 
colored, for each player, and have them bring both shirts 
with them to the gymnasium whenever they have practice. 
If you desire to have one of the regulars play on the scrub 
team, it is not only uncomfortable but most unsanitary for 
him to change shirts with a scrub player. I would therefore 
insist that all men bring two shirts with them whenever 
they have practice and also at scheduled games. 

Don't have your men stand around after scrimmage talking 
to friends. Urge them to take a shower and get dressed 
immediately lest they become stiff and catch cold. 

Whenever he has a traveling game, the coach should see 
to it that the manager notifies the men who are to make the 
trip and gives them the exact time and place that the train 
leaves. It is also advisable to give each man a separate slip 
with the time of departure of several trains that leave for 
the town in which the game is to be played in case a member 
of the team should be late and miss his connections. 

At the Game. I have found it a great help to have one 
of the assistant managers sit alongside of the men with a 
stop-watch and call out occasionally just how many more 
minutes there are to play. In this way, I am able to keep 
track of the time and make the necessary changes without 
taking risks. ■ 

A coach should point out the prominent mistakes made 
by the regulars in the game and make sure that each and 
every man on the bench hears him. I would also make a 
memorandum of these faults and present them to the players 
after the game. 



119 



Suggestions to players for use during time-outs: 

1. Do not lie down on the floor. 

2. Do not drink any water. 

3. Do not put a wet sponge in your mouth. 

4. Breath in deeply through your nostrils and exhale 
through your mouth to restore wind. 

5. Do not call one another down for making mistakes. 
Encourage your team-mates. 

6. Change your signals if you think your opponents 
know them. 

7. Before resuming play, plan the next two plays. 

Before the game and during the halves, I have found it 
extremely helpful to point out faults that have been made by 
the regulars and to speak to each man individually so as to 
refresh his memory on the correction of those faults. In- 
directly, the others listening to the conversation will benefit 
by the correction. 

Before the game inspire your men with a £ood fiery talk. 
Make them feel that there is no such thing as defeat. * Urge 
them to work together willingly regardless what the 
sacrifice may be, to play the game as gentlemen, without 
crabbing at the officials, and to abide by all decisions made. 

Once you get the respect of your men you will find that 
your team will not go out to win games solely for their Alma 
Mater but will plug to the last to win for you. Work with 
them and try to please every man on the squad by giving 
him the individual attention that he may need. Do not play 
favorites with any man on the squad but sympathize, correct 
and show an impartial interest in the welfare of all. 

There may be times when certain men on the squad will 
not be performing as well as you like them to, and it appears 
almost as though they cannot grasp the work. It is here 
that the coach's real power will come into play. Have 
patience with your men and remember that the fruits best 
worth waiting for ripen the slowest. A youngster is easily 
discouraged if you call him down, particularly in the pres- 
ence of his mates. 



120 



To be capable of radiating steady patience, sympathy, and 
encouragement is proof not only of goodness of heart but of 
strength of mind. A coach is nothing less than a big 
brother to every man on the squad. There are times when 
certain men will go about ' their work with an air of indiffer- 
ence. They may be blue and despondent over the poor 
grades they received in their class work or because of 
troubles at home. The most valuable thing a coach can do 
is to be a real friend to these men. It may cost him time, 
energy, patience, convenience, and comfort, but it is all 
insignificant in cost when compared with the price coaches 
pay in trying to get their men to work harmoniously. Per- 
fect cooperation and harmony amongst players, in attack and 
defense, are necessary to win games. 

If defeats come, everything possible should be done to 
keep the players from becoming disheartened. No team will 
do its best unless the players go into a game with a full reali- 
zation that they will have to put forth their very best efforts 
to stand any chance of winning. It is the absolute duty of a 
coach to build up confidence in the players under his direc- 
tion. The coach should point out the faults in the team's 
play which caused the defeats in the previous games and 
show wherein correction of these faults will work vast im- 
provement in their game. Frequently, a team may be greatly 
overconfident as a result of easy victories in former games. 
Teams going into a game with this spirit are in almost as 
poor a state of mind for their best interests as are those 
teams that are discouraged at the very start. Very often 
under such conditions, the unlooked for strength and de- 
termination of weaker opponents will so surprise, daze and 
demoralize a team, that disasterous defeats result when 
merely a change of spirit might have avoided them. 

There are times when the coach will have to use tact in 
breaking up individualism on the part of the players. There 
are various types that he may have to deal with : the fellow 
who is anxious to lead the league in scoring and as a result 
breaks up team-work is one type; another is the fellow who 
is seeking a headline in the school or public newspaper and 
does all in his power to get it regardless of the cost to his 
team; a third is the type that will play favorites and pass 
the ball a majority of times to a certain mate while disre- 
garding the man who is really deserving of the pass. The 
captain can help the coach out by calling attention to cases 
of certain men on the team who are not pulling well to- 



rn 



gether off the court. The coach can then perhaps bring 
these men together better than the captain can. 

From time to time, the coach will find that some of the 
men will show indifference to training rules. The impor- 
tance of having players strictly adhere to the rules set down, 
cannot be over-emphasized in the early stages of the season. 
The coach should enforce these rules "as laid down by him, 
even if it means the dropping of one of his regulars from 
the squad. There are some men who can dissipate and defy 
nature's laws for a while with apparent immunity. But late 
hours and excesses compel many a player to pay a heavy toll 

Many college and school teams are upset through the loss 
of regulars on account of ineligibility. I really feel that if 
a coach takes hold of his men individually from time to time, 
inquires about their progress in their school work, and if 
help is needed, seeks students who are proficient to give these 
athletes a hand, he can avoid disqualifications and build up 
team spirit. 

It is the duty of the coach to give credit and praise wher- 
ever due. It is extremely annoying to see accounts in the 
daily press about those who star on the defense and who do 
the feeding. In football, the men in the backfield who do all 
the carrying of the ball receive credit for their ground-gain- 
ing while the men who are making the interference 
directly enabling these men to carry the ball often receive 
very little recognition. The best medium through whom 
they can receive commendation for their work is the coach, 
who recognizes ability better than the spectators in the stands 
or the newspaper reporters. A word of appreciation from 
the coach to these men will not only solidify his hold and 
increase his respect but will also make his players feel that 
their efforts have not gone unnoticed. 

When teams go off on long trips, one will experience, as I 
have, that the men will play cards and gamble on a small 
scale. While there is nothing radically wrong in playing 
cards, I have observed that friendships have been broken, 
animosities have developed among players, team-work has 
been shattered, and a general lowering of the morale in the 
squad results. Get your men to pass the time in a more 
profitable way. A coach who can inspire his men to do 
bigger things, to better themselves mentally when they are 
off the court, is the type of man that boys need. Let the 
coach set the standard by reading a book so that the men 



12? 



on the team will carry some form of reading matter with 
them on future trips. 

Coaches should make it their business to keep Alumni, 
rooters, students, and gamblers out of the dressing room 
before the game and between halves. These men are all 
anxious to hand out advice which is never of value to the 
men. Besides, their presence is not conducive to the best 
spirit of the players and to the welfare of the team. 

It is not by stature alone that you may know where the 
basketball heroes stand. It is by their spirit. A coach can- 
not in any way change the size of his men. If the players lack 
weight and power the coach has just that much handicap to 
overcome and should have more credit for developing a 
winning team. Yet, I do believe that a coach's personality, 
methods, and powers of inspiration have much to do with 
the spirit of his team. These are the coach's greatest assets, 
greater than the strategy he may teach. There may be certain 
individuals who will shine in spite of a poor coach ; but you 
will notice, nevertheless, that a good coach always has good 
players. Some may think it luck or fate. It seems to me, 
however, that because of the nature of competition on the 
basketball courts today, a team must have a combination of 
a skilled coach and good players to finish well in the race. 
Wherever we find a great team and a great coach, we are most 
certain to find an almost indomitable spirit, which is due in 
no small measure to the coach. The respect which he gains 
from his players because of his superior knowledge of the 
game, and as a result of his methods of teaching and han- 
dling of the men under him, helps him personally and in- 
directly helps the team. 



123 



LIBRARY^OF^C^ 

042 014 113 



Hollinger Corp. 
pH 8.5 



